Touch of Death
by CrazyFanGirl18
Summary: Arianna may be a skilled assassin, but her growing power has left her living in fear. When Gandalf enlists her into the company of Thorin Oakenshield she finds herself fighting to control her gift as well as her heart. However her dark past refuses to stay behind. Note: I do not own any of Tolkiens characters.
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

_Beads of sweat begin to form on her forehead. She could feel them drip down her face as she forced herself to stare up at the three cloaked figures before her - their dark purple hoods concealing their faces, leaving nothing but a black, faceless mask. Clasping her hands in front of her, she whispered the words she had whispered every day, _

"_I will not show them fear. I will not be afraid."_

_As the central figure took a single, silent step forward she licked her dry lips; forcing herself to remain where she was. The flaming torches that encircled the group shone on her face, lighting up her pale blue eyes. Looking up at the imposing figure she took a deep breath and held out her hands – palms facing upwards. The figure reached for their hood with gloved hands and as the material fell backwards she forced herself to keep her gaze steady. Deep green eyes looked into her own and she could feel the blood drain from her face as her hands were grasped by the figures. He gave her a soft smile and stroked her palms with his thumbs,  
_

"_Do not be afraid Arianna my dear," _

_His eyes shone and the fear melted away from her stomach as though she had woken from a nightmare. The two other cloaked figures stepped forward and stood on either side of Arianna who was trying her best to ignore their very presence. She kept focused on the eyes in front of her. A voice beside her spoke up. He didn't have the confidence that the first figure held, _

"_Jared…I'm not sure about this,"_

"_You will be silent," Jared's gaze never left hers as he gripped her hands tightly. Arianna took a deep breath to steady her nerves. Jared smiled at her and the nerves died away instantaneously. The second man placed a hand on Arianna's shoulder, _

"_This isn't right. She's still a child,"_

_Jared inclined his head at the figure before turning back to Arianna, _

"_You want to do this don't you my dear?"_

_Arianna's mouth opened and closed. Her words got stuck in her throat and she desperately wished for a glass of water. More sweat ran down her face as the heat from the fire grew more and more intense. Jared lifted one of her hands and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles. His very presence should have made her skin crawl. But as his eyes bore into hers she found that she was perfectly happy to remain where she was. Jared fixed the outspoken figure with a single glance and he bowed in silence. Jared fixed his face back on Arianna,_

"_Now then. Are you ready?"_

_Arianna wanted to shake her head. She didn't want to do this. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to go home. Only she had no home. Not anymore. The grip on her hands tightened and she found her head nodding slowly. Jared smiled before staring past her shoulders as though someone was behind her, _

"_Arianna. You have been inducted into the Kira Katil. Do you swear on your honour and your life blood that you will keep our sacred rituals secret?"_

"_I swear," Arianna's voice cracked from her dry throat. Jared lifted his head slightly higher, _

"_Do you swear to uphold the rules of the Kira Katil?"_

"_I swear,"_

_Jared fixed her with his intense eyes. Arianna's chest rose desperately. She wanted to go. She wanted to run away before it was too late. Once she had finished the oath, there would be no turning back. Arianna kept her gaze steady. Jared's eyes didn't blink, _

"_Do you accept that any failure to take a life is only payable by the taking of your own?" _

_Arianna froze. How could she swear to that? How was it that she had sworn to any of this? Jared's eyes shone and Arianna found her head nodding, _

"_I swear,"_

_Jared let go of her hands and crossed them over his chest. The two figures on either side stepped towards her; one holding a branding iron. Arianna stared straight ahead as one man pulled her dress from her shoulders. As the hot iron pressed into her shoulder blade she bit her lip to avoid crying out. She could feel the metal taste of blood in her mouth and as it dripped down her throat her whole body shuddered. The two figures hurriedly stepped back and even Jared began to show signs of concern as Arianna doubled over in pain. Clutching her head she gave an inhuman cry before thrusting her hands out to her sides. All three men gasped as a shockwave ran through the room – knocking them to the ground. Arianna fell to her knees as yet another shockwave – a far stronger one – burst from her hands. With a nod from Jared to two men ran to her and held her in their arms. One stroked her hair whilst another shushed her gently in an attempt to calm her down. As the wild look on her eyes vanished they released their grip. Ignoring the blood that ran down her skin Arianna clenched her fists, gave a low bow before turning round and leaving. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end as she left the circle. Now that Jared's gaze was no longer fixed on her, she felt the nausea churn in her stomach. What had she done? _

_Jared watched the slight figure of Arianna melt into the blackness. He faced the other two and glared at the man, who had dared speak out against him, _

"_She's too young Jared,"_

"_It's done now," Jared never raised his voice. Instead he relied on his icy tone to keep anyone from daring to argue him. The man shook his head, _

"_I know she's skilled. But you've never had anyone take the oath until they become of age,"_

"_This one is different my friend," Jared didn't move his head, "I can sense it. She hides her gift well but I can feel it bubbling under her skin. Waiting for the perfect moment to be freed from her body,"_

_The two men looked at each other in concern. Had they just witnessed the child's so called 'gift'? Jared gave a knowing smile,_

"_So all it takes for the power to be released is for someone to attack her," he mused to himself before facing the other two,_

"_Once we have perfected the art of harnessing her power…we will be indestructible!"_

_Jared's eyes rested on the place where Arianna had been standing only a few minutes. She had done a great job of hiding her gift from the outside world for many years. But the second he had looked into her eyes he had seen the magic swirling inside her body, aching to be released. With her in his power, he would have the greatest weapon in Middle Earth. _


	2. 1 An Unexpected Guest

_**Wow 44 views and I've only posted the prologue! Big thanks to CharlEBailey, Ec1aire, Tig442 and ninjamonkey5684 for following my story and an extra big thanks to Ec1aire for posting such a great review and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.**_

An Unexpected Guest

Arianna stood at the bottom of the path leading up towards the house known as Bag – End. It was a strange sort of house. To her it seemed to be buried underneath a large mound of grass with a large round green door and a couple of windows poking out. Although night had fallen long ago Arianna's acute senses allowed her to see everything around her as though it was daytime. The few people she had passed had stood no taller than four foot. Looking up the path Arianna saw a small crowd of dwarves standing by the green door. As she got closer she could see the majority were not only short but were also rather fat as well. She also saw that, like her they were all armed. They hadn't noticed Arianna as they were all in deep discussion and for a second she was unsure of what to do. Gandalf had told her to come, but now she was here there was no sign of him,

"Can we help ye lass?"

Arianna whipped her head round to see one of the dwarves looking at her. He wasn't as fat as the others and had a black beard and wore a strange furry hat with both ends curled upwards. Arianna was momentarily lost for words, uneasy with the attention with eight dwarves. The one with the strange hat was looking at her in earnest and she could feel the eyes of the dwarves resting on her. She cleared her throat,

"Well…" she began before a voice behind her interrupted,

"Well we're all here then?"

"Gandalf!" Arianna broke into a smile as the wizard stepped into the moonlight. The hatted dwarf looked at her,

"Ye know each other then?"

"I…" Arianna wasn't sure how to explain how she knew Gandalf. Once again Gandalf stepped in to help,

"I've been well acquainted with this lady for many good years Bofur,"

Bofur nodded before giving Arianna a low bow,

"Bofur, at your service,"

Unsure of how to react she bowed back. Gandalf stepped in front of her and waved a hand at the dwarves,

"Arianna, I want you to meet the majority of our company. Oin, Gloin. Dori, Nori, Ori. And of course we have Bifur, Bofur and Bombur,"

As all the dwarves bowed Arianna was busy muttering the names to herself and counting on her fingers; her face screwed up in concentration. Noticing this Gandalf cleared his throat,

"Yes well…I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to learn," he looked to the door where he could hear a raised voice coming to the door. Gandalf smiled to himself,

"It looks like the others are already here,"

Arianna joined the other dwarves as they clustered by the door. Behind the newly painted wood she could hear someone shouting,

"There are too many dwarves in my house for one day!"

Arianna looked up at Gandalf who simply nodded, "Our host," he mouthed as the voice carried on yelling,

"If this is some…clot heads idea of a joke. I must say, it is in…very…poor…taste!"

Arianna fell forward as the door swung open. Standing in the middle of the group had seemed like a good idea at the time but it had backfired horribly. She landed on a small pile of dwarves. Someone's boot was pressing into her face and she could hardly draw breath as the fat dwarf – Bombur? – landed right on top of her. Her groans chorused with the groans and curses of the other dwarves. Craning her neck upwards she saw a small man standing in the doorway dressed in a red striped dressing gown. Arianna saw he was frowning,

"Gandalf." His light brown hair fell over his face. The dwarves underneath Arianna began to wriggle themselves free and as the dwarf below her moved Arianna rolled to the side and landed painfully into the wall,

"Ow!" rubbing her head she looked up to see the tall figure of Gandalf striding past her without a second glance,

"Here ye go lass,"

She looked up to see Bofur's extended hand. Taking it with a grateful smile she got to her feet in time to hear another voice coming from behind Bofur,

"Lass? You never said we'd have a girl coming?"

Arianna's head snapped up at this new voice. Behind Bofur stood two more dwarves. Both were slightly taller and whilst one had blonde hair and bright blue eyes the second one had dark brown hair and intense eyes that watched her face carefully. Arianna was aware that she was patting her hair down and rearranging her cloak. The blonde on stepped forward,

"Fili,"

"Kili," the other added. They both bowed and she gave a small bow back,

"Arianna," There was a second or two of silence when both dwarves moved past her to help Ori and Nori pull Bombur to his feet. Arianna looked up to see two more dwarves; one had dark hair and was heavily built. The other was shorter with white hair and a white beard,

"Balin," said the older one,

"and Dwarlin," said the other. As she had expected they both bowed. Arianna introduced herself and Balin gave her a smile. Arianna hoped the dwarves had finished with the bowing. She didn't think her back would be able to take it for much longer. Arianna looked around her for the first time since falling through the open doorway. She had imagined the house to be far darker and dirtier seeing as how it was underground. Instead she could see it had been well furnished and well lit with proper lamps as opposed to flaming torches. As the rest of the dwarves dumped their weapons in a corner Arianna meanwhile picked up several arrows that had fallen from her quiver before tossing it and the accompanying bow down with the rest of the dwarf's weapons. Her nose pricked up at the smell of roast chicken and she gently pushed past the remaining dwarves and headed into the small room that seemed to be the dining room.

* * *

As he pulled Bombur to his feet Kili looked up to see the girl turning a corner towards where the food was. As surprised as he was that Gandalf had brought a girl with him, he had been far more surprised when he had seen her. Her pale blue eyes shone in the candlelight and her bright hair looked like fire in the bright lights. The fact that she barely cleared five foot pleased him as well – it was nice having someone who was close to his own height for once. Kili's mind wandered back to the girls eyes. Pale blue but filled with fire. They were the eyes of someone who had fought tooth and nail for their survival. Kili had never been so enamoured with anyone before and he had a feeling he had blushed the entire time she had been looking at him. His brother nudged him and Kili looked up to see his brother smiling at him,

"What is it?"

Fili shrugged, "So then. This girl,"

Kili frowned at his brother, "What about the girl?"

Fili did a double take at his brother, "You mean you don't find her attractive?"

Kili looked again at where the girl had stood only a few minutes. Her eyes still haunted him. He turned to his brother

"Well…she's alright I suppose. For a human," without letting Fili say anything else Kili headed off to join the rest of the company. The last thing he needed was his brothers teasing. The small room that had been put aside for all the dwarves – plus Gandalf and Arianna – was in chaos. Whilst everyone had a seat and plenty of food Kili could hear the sound of Bilbo Baggins in the background as more and more food vanished from his larder,

"Bit…excessive isn't it? Do you need a cheese knife?"

"Cheese knife? He eats' it by the block," Bofur's voice said. Kili smirked to himself before looking up to see his brother walking across the table; several mugs of beer in his hands. As Kili took his he saw Arianna siting across the table from him. She took her own mug from Fili who jumped into his seat next to Kili. Kili raised his mug along with everyone else before bringing it to his mouth and – like the rest of the dwarves – he downed his drink in one big gulp. As he lowered his mug he saw the girl do the same before tracing her finger around the rim of her mug in thought. The lights flickered on her face, making her features look sharper and more beautiful. He was so busy staring that he didn't notice her eye's fixed on his face. He quickly lowered his head and pretended to be interested in his empty mug.

* * *

The chaos continued even after dinner. Arianna watched as Bilbo ran round in frenzy, grabbing dishes and cloths from the dwarves. She heard him mention something about his mother but she wasn't really listening. Instead her hand lingered on the necklace hanging round her neck. She had seen the dark haired dwarf – Kili – looking at it. Being on her own for so long meant that Arianna had never even thought about how she looked to other people. Once again a sense of self-consciousness crept it and she hurriedly pulled her hair over her shoulders. Looking up she saw Bilbo snatch a small lace cloth from a dwarf's hand,

"That's a doily not a dishcloth,"

"But it's full of holes," Bofur had been standing by Arianna and was looking at the doily in fascination. She smirked at Bilbo's expression,

"It's supposed to be like that, it's crochet,"

"Oh and a lovely game it is to," Bofur replied, "If you've got the balls for it,"

As the other dwarves sniggered to themselves Arianna saw Gandalf coming towards her. She gently pulled on the sleeve of his robe,

"Gandalf. What is crochet? I didn't think it was a game," The past decade or so of her life hadn't really been filled with playing games. Gandalf removed his pipe from his mouth and looked at her,

"That's because it's not actually a game Arianna. Our good friend Bofur is getting confused with croquet,"

"Oh," she frowned, still none the wiser, "So what is crochet then?"

"Well it's a sort of pattern in cloth,"

"But, what's it for? What's its purpose?" she demanded. Gandalf frowned,

"Well none really. It just looks nice,"

"Oh," Arianna muttered to herself. She was about to ask Gandalf something else. Something that had been bugging the back of her mind. However he had been dragged away by Bilbo who was now complaining to him about mud in his carpet. Arianna shook her head. She had caught snippets from overhearing conversations at the table and she knew that the dwarves were going on some sort of quest. She fingered the cloth in her pocket. The second she had shown it to Gandalf he had insisted she come on this quest. But why they were all meeting in Bilbo's house remained a mystery. As far as Arianna was concerned he didn't looked like the type to go on a quest. Her trail of thought was broken by the sound of shouting and yelling. Looking up she saw plates, bowls, knives and forks flying through the air; being tossed and caught by the dwarves whilst Bilbo was yelling at them to stop it. Arianna heard him shouting something about his mother's china and about blunting knives. Amidst all the noise she could hear Kili singing and, after a while the others joined in.

_Blunt the knives and bend the forks!_

_Smash the bottles and bend the corks!_

_Chips the glass and crack the plates!_

_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_

Arianna smiled as she saw several of the dwarves get up and begin some mad dance in the middle of the room. She loved dancing and her heart ached as she tried to remember the last time she'd had the opportunity. A hand grabbed hers and she looked at Bofur's smiling face as they linked arms and began to skip round the room to the music. Suddenly Bofur was replaced by Ori, then Nori, then Bifur, back to Bofur, and then Fili joined in.

_Cut the cloth and trail the fat!_

_Leave the bones on the bedroom matt!_

_Pour the milk on the pantry floor!_

_Smash the wine on every door!_

Arianna looked up to see a plate flying her way. Grabbing it she looked over at the forlorn face of Bilbo. For a split second she offered the plate to him before snatching it back and tossing it behind her where it was caught by Gloin. Now both Fili and Bofur were dancing with her. Arianna had never really danced like this before in her life and to be truthful she didn't really know if this was even dancing.

_Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl!_

_Pound them up with a thumping pole!_

_And when you've finished, if they are whole!_

_Send them down the hall to roll!_

_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_

"That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!" she joined in on the last line. As she did so she slipped on a scattered dishcloth and fell to the floor – bringing both Fili and Bofur down with her. The group was silent for a second before bursting into laughter. As her two dance partners helped her up Arianna caught Kili's eye. He was starting at her intensely and for a second her laughter faded - only to increase as she took in Bilbo's astonished expression at the clean and tidy pile of dishes. The group around her laughed as well. However their joy was cut short by a sharp knock at the door. Slowly everyone fell silent as Gandalf suddenly appeared, his face now serious,

"He is here."

_**Apologies if anyone finds this a slow start but I'm just trying to properly introduce Arianna to the story. Plus really appreciate reviews (hint hint!)**_


	3. The King Under the Mountain

_**Wow! Only two chapters in and I've already got well over 100 views! Still can't believe it considering it's my first Hobbit fanfiction. Big thanks to drwatsonn and mariamorozco for following me.**_

_**Ec1aire – I love that scene as well as I have a tendency to watch that song several times when watching the movie at home!**_

_**Midnighttales357 – Glad you're enjoying the story. I haven't read 'A truly unexpected journey' yet but I will as soon as I can.**_

_**drwatsonn – I'm glad you're intrigued about the story and I hope Arianna doesn't disappoint as a character.**_

The King under the Mountain

The sound of knocking could be heard again as slowly the dwarves began to move towards the door. Gandalf made to lead the way when Arianna held him back. He looked down at her kindly,

"Yes Arianna?"

"Does he…have you told him about me?" she whispered, not wanting the others to overhear. Gandalf paused for a second,

"Not exactly," with that he turned and hurried to join the rest of the company. Arianna looked at his retreating back. Brushing herself down in an effort to look presentable – since when had she started doing that? – she turned the corner to see the door open and a single dwarf standing there with dark black hair and bright blue eyes with a short black beard. Apart from the fur lined cloak he was dressed just like the rest of the company. Yet Arianna could sense an air of royalty about him. It was the way he held his chin up, the way he looked around at his surroundings. The only person he smiled at was Gandalf,

"Gandalf. I though you said this place was easy to find? I lost my way…twice,"

Arianna took several steps back as the dwarf stepped into the house. It didn't take long for him to notice her. He frowned but to Arianna's relief he remained silent. Instead his attention was focused on Bilbo who was once again complaining – this time it was about some mark on his door. Arianna rolled her eyes but a small smile tugged on her lips as she saw the dwarf look at Bilbo. Gandalf stepped up to make the introductions,

"Bilbo, this is the leader of our group, Thorin Oakenshield."

Thorin Oakenshield stared at Bilbo Baggins with an air of distaste. So this was Gandalf's idea of a burglar. He could feel the gazes of the rest of the company on him. Looking up at Dwalin he saw that the warrior dwarf was thinking along the same lines as Thorin himself. This Hobbit would be nothing more than a liability on this quest. He felt the wizard move forward to stand beside Bilbo. Thorin folded his arms. For Gandalf's sake he was willing to see what the Hobbit was capable of,

"Tell me Mr Baggins. Have you done much fighting?"

"I'm…sorry?" Bilbo's face fell and Thorin resisted the effort to smirk at the Hobbit's fallen expression,

"Axe or sword. What's your weapon of choice?"

Bilbo raised an eyebrow, "Well I do have some skill at conkers. But I fail to see what that's got to do with it,"

Thorin looked over at Dwalin who rolled his eyes and sighed dramatically. Thorin turned to Gandalf. He was desperate to say _I told you so_ but one look at the wizards face told him that wasn't going to be an option. Instead he turned his attention back to the company,

"I thought as much," looking Bilbo up and down he added dismissively, "He looks more like a grocer than a burglar,"

The sniggering of the dwarves was interrupted as Thorin looked Arianna up and down. Gandalf stepped forward calmly,

"Thorin, this is Arianna,"

Unlike the others, Thorin didn't bow to her. Instead he almost expected her to bow to him. Arianna lifted her chin up as he turned to Gandalf,

"You never told me it would be a woman Gandalf," his voice was low but Arianna's eyes flashed at the term 'it'. Gandalf sighed expectantly,

"Because I knew what you would say Thorin. But you must trust me here. Arianna is incredibly skilled and will be of great help on this mission. She is not some fair maiden in distress. This girl known far more hardship than you can ever guess,"

Thorin looked over at Arianna with distaste before pushing past her and towards the dining room. As the rest of the company followed Arianna saw Fili grinning at her. She shook her head,

"Friendly isn't he?"

Now that Thorin was here things became more civilised. The company sat round the table quietly whilst Thorin – who sat at the head – finished his soup. There had been no room for Arianna and so she stood behind Balin and leant against the wall. Dwarlin had asked Thorin if they were going to receive any help on this quest of theirs. Thorins negative response caused a lot of angry muttering amongst the group. Thorin however carried on eating as Gandalf asked Bilbo to bring in a lantern. As they waited for the hobbit Thorin brought out a folded up bit of parchment and unfolded it for all the dwarves to see. Leaning forward Arianna saw it was a map of sorts. In one corner she saw a compass and the other she saw the drawing of a mountain with a dragon flying beside it. The rest of the map was covered in writing and strange runes that she didn't understand. By the looks of the rest of the company they didn't understand them either,

"The…lonely…mountain," Arianna saw that Bilbo had returned and was looking over Thorin's shoulder. Gloin nodded fiercely,

"Aye. Oin has read the portents and the portents say, it is time!"

"Ravens have been seen flying back to the mountain. As it was foretold," Oin added "When the birds of Old return to Erebor the reign of the beast will end,"

Arianna looked over at Oin sharply. Gandalf had never told her anything about beasts. She turned to the wizard and he nodded.

"What beast?" Arianna saw Bilbo's face go white with shock. She watched the silent faces of the dwarves. It was clear that none of them wanted to be the one to break the news. Bofur looked at his neighbour before turning to Bilbo,

"Well that would be a reference to Smaug the Terrible: chiefest and greatest calamity of our age,"

Arianna had a feeling that Bofur was one to make things sound far more dramatic than they were. Bilbo's face got whiter as Bofur carried on,

"Airborne fire breather. Teeth like razors. Claws like meat hooks. Extremely fond of treasure," he added as an afterthought. Bilbo nodded to try and shut him up,

"I know what a dragon is thanks."

Although she wasn't going to show it, Arianna herself was a bit more nervous than she had been a few hours ago. Clasping her hands she stared straight ahead,

"I will not be afraid," she muttered under her breath.

Her head snapped up as the youngest dwarf – Ori – shot up from his seat,

"I'm not afraid of the dragon, I'm up for it! I'll give him a taste of dwarvish iron right up his jacksey!"

The rest of the group cheered but the dwarf next to him – Dori – pulled him back in his seat,

"Sit down!" he hissed. Arianna smiled at Ori, wishing she shared his confidence,

"The task would be difficult enough with an army behind us," Balin said, "But we number just thirteen. And not thirteen of the best…nor brightest,"

Arianna had to agree with him there. However Fili pounded his fist on the table,

"We may be few in number. But we're fighters. All of us, to the last dwarf!"

Kili nodded, "And you forget that we have a wizard in our company," he turned to Gandalf,

"Gandalf will have killed, hundreds of dragons in his time,"

"Well not quite hundreds," Arianna could have sworn that Gandalf looked sheepish. She frowned,

"How many then?" she asked curiously. Dori nodded,

"How many? How many dragons have you killed?"

"Well…I…" As the dwarves began to get excited Arianna could see Gandalf looking more and more worried. She leaned forward,

"You haven't killed any have you?" she whispered with a smile. Gandalf shrugged as Thorin got to his feet,

"ENOUGH!" he yelled. Silently everyone sat back down and Arianna watched Thorin carefully as he takes his seat,

"If we have read these signs do you not think others will have read them too?"

Watching their faces Arianna realised this thought hadn't occurred to them. In truth she had never assumed others would be on the same quest. She watched Thorin look round the table,

"Rumours have begun to spread. The dragon Smaug has not been seen for sixty years. Eyes look East to the mountain, wondering, assessing, weighing up the risk. Perhaps the wealth of our people lies unprotected? Do we sit back whilst others claim what is rightfully ours? Or do we take the chance to seize back Erebor?"

Arianna glared as Thorins eyes landed on her. No wonder he didn't trust her. She was about to tell him she had no interest in treasure when Balin spoke up,

"You forget that the front gate is sealed. There's no way into the mountain,"

The faces of the dwarves fell. Arianna however saw Gandalf take a small key from a pocket and hand it to Thorin who looked at it as though it was the most precious thing in the world,

"How come you by this?"

"It was given to me by your father, Thrain," Gandalf smiled, "For safekeeping. And now, I'm giving it to you,"

Arianna watched as Thorin took the key in his hands. All of a sudden a new sense of hope seemed to fill the room. Fili grinned,

"If there's a key, then there must be a door,"

Gandalf nodded, "These runes speak of a hidden passage,"

Kili nudged his brother, "There's another way in,"

Arianna rolled her eyes. Of course there was another way in. What else would the key be for? Gandalf smiled,

"Yes but of course dwarf doors are invisible," he stabbed the map with his finger, "the answer lies somewhere in this map and I do not have the skill to read it. But, there are others in Middle Earth who do,"

Arianna watched him look at each dwarf in turn,

"The task I have in mind will require stealth…and no small amount of courage. But, I believe that if we are careful and clever, it can be done,"

"That's why we need a burglar," Ori piped up. Bilbo nodded,

"An expert I'd imagine,"

"And are you?" Gloin asked. Arianna watched Bilbo's face fall,

"Am I…"

"He says he's an expert!" Oin shouted. Bilbo shook his head,

"No! I'm not a burglar. I've never stolen a thing in my life,"

The opposite of herself then Arianna thought. Balin sighed despondently,

"I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr Baggins. He's hardly burglar material,"

Bilbo nodded and Dwarlin shook his head,

"Aye the wild is no place for gentle folk who can neither fight nor fend for themselves,"

Arianna nodded in agreement when Dwalin fixed his dark eyes on her,

"That includes women," he added darkly. Arianna's hands hovered over the two knives hidden in her belt. The rest of the dwarves were now nodding at each other and she could feel the anger surging through her body. It would be so easy to kill them now. Taking a deep breath she drew out the two knives. Dwalin raised an eyebrow,

"I'd be careful with those lass. They're sharp."

The dwarves laughed amongst themselves and Arianna smirked at the warrior dwarf's face. With a flick of each wrist the knives flew across the table; landing on either side of Dwalin's head - centimetres from his hair. Silence fell and Arianna savoured the shocked face of the dwarf. No one said a word as she stepped across the table and yanked the knives from the wood,

"No kidding," she muttered. As she sheathed her knives she looked at the faces of the dwarves. Her gaze landed on Fili and Kili and Arianna tried to work out which one wore the biggest smirk. She glowered. If these mollycoddled princes through she was here just for their amusement then they were in for a huge shock. Gandalf slowly got to his feet and faced the company,

"Arianna is a member of the Kira Katil."

The dwarves were on their feet in an instant. All of them had drawn weapons and were now glaring at her.

"_If looks could kill,"_ Arianna thought, _"I'd be pushing up daisies._

To her surprise the only person who didn't seem concerned was Thorin. Instead he stared at her,

"What does an assassin want with a group of dwarves?"

"I haven't come to kill you if that's what you mean," she replied, "Instead I've come to help you," Reaching into her pocket she could feel the dwarves closest to her tense their muscles. Arianna rolled her eyes as she pulled out a piece of black parchment,

"So dangerous isn't it?" Tossing it to Thorin she leant against the wall. The dwarf's face grew dark as his eyes strayed over the words. Thorin turned to her,

"This is written in black speech," Arianna could feel a darkness descend on the room. Thorin narrowed his eyes,

"Where did you get this?" his voice harsh. Arianna didn't flinch,

"I ran into a group of mercenaries. They were stupid enough to mistake me for a tavern wench,"

Kili snorted and Arianna's eyes flashed,

"Find it funny do you?"

He faced her glare, "What happened to them?"

To her delight, Arianna found that everyone was now watching her. She shrugged casually,

"Look at it this way. One of them won't be able to have children ever again."

There was a pause before the whole table burst into laughter. For a second Arianna thought they were laughing at her. Instead she found them laughing at what she'd done. Fili wiped tears from his eyes,

"I would have loved to see that," he grinned. Arianna smiled back. Thorin raised his eyebrows,

"We are quite capable of defending ourselves. Why do we need an assassin as well?"  
Gandalf placed a hand on Thorin's shoulder,

"Trust me Thorin. Arianna's skills could be far more useful than you think,"

Thorin sat back in his chair. However Dwalin was still staring darkly at Bilbo,

"As I said. The wild is no place for those who can't defend themselves,"

Bilbo nodded in encouragement and the rest of the table were now muttering amongst themselves and the muttering slowly turned into shouting.

"ENOUGH!" Arianna turned to Gandalf who seemed to have grown about two feet and she could see dark shadows creeping up the walls around him. The dwarves were stunned into silence as the wizard continued,

"If I say Bilbo Baggins is a burglar then a burglar he is!"The shadows slowly vanished as the lights flickered. Gandalf looked round the room,

"Hobbits are remarkably light on their feet. They can pass unseen by most if they choose. And while the dragon is accustomed to the smell of dwarf, the scent of hobbit is all but unknown to him,"

He turned to Thorin, "You asked me to find you a burglar and I have chosen Mr Baggins,"  
Thorin seemed unconvinced but looked at Gandalf, who continued,

"There's a lot more to him than appearances suggest. And he has a great deal more to offer than any of us know…including himself,"

Arianna smirked at Bilbo's indignant expression. Thorin nodded, "All right. Give him the contract,"

Bilbo's protests went ignored as he was passed a large piece of parchment by Balin,

"It's just the usual," Balin said cheerfully, "Pocket expenses, time required, remuneration….funeral arrangements, so forth,"

"Funeral arrangements?" Bilbo repeated shakily. Thorin leaned towards Gandalf and from her position Arianna caught his words,

"I will not be responsible for his safety," Thorin whispered. Gandalf nodded, 

"Understood,"

"Nor will I be responsible for his fate,"

Gandalf nodded before looking back at Bilbo had was reading through the contract. Arianna yawned and leant her head against the wall as Bilbo began reading out loud,

"Present company will not be liable for injuries inflicted or sustained as a consequence, thereof, including but not limited to…lacerations," his face paled, "eviscerations," he looked up at the dwarves,

"Incineration?"

Bofur nodded, "Aye he'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye,"

Arianna watched Bilbo sway slightly. Balin looked at him,

"You alright laddie?"

Bilbo nodded slightly. Bofur smiled at him,

"Think furnace…with wings,"

Bilbo shook his head, "I…I need…air," he gripped at his knees and Arianna herself was starting to feel a bit sick. She looked over to see Kili watching her. Quickly averting her gaze she saw Bofur leaning over the table,

"Flash of light, searing pain and then poof! You're nothing but a pile of ash,"

For a second Arianna thought Bilbo was going to be okay. He stood up straight and faced the company. Then he shook his head,

"Nope," as he fell backwards in a faint. Gandalf sighed,

"Oh very helpful," he muttered as he moved towards Bilbo. Arianna followed him and picked the hobbit up in her arms. She glanced at the rest of the dwarves, who were all on their feet but seemed happy to stay where they were,

"Don't all rush to help," she snapped.

_**Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I'll try and update as regularly as possible and don't forget to review!**_


	4. Why am I here?

_**Big thanks to LifeIsForLievingSoGoBonkers, wolfhound22, gillybean 83 for following my story.**_

Why am I here?

Thorin lit his pipe as he sat back against the wall. Gandalf had come back and reassured everyone that Bilbo was fine and was sitting calmly by the fireplace. Thorin shook his head. How had Gandalf managed to convince him to allow the hobbit to come? He would just become a liability. The girl was the same. Thorin looked up to see Gandalf sitting beside him,

"I told you to trust me Thorin," he repeated. Thorin sighed,

"Why bring the girl Gandalf? What use is she to us?"

Gandalf frowned, "You judge far too much by appearance Thorin. Both Bilbo and Arianna have more to offer than you know."

Thorin sighed. There was a reason why he didn't want a girl in the group. As far as he was concerned women were little more than a distraction for men. He knew that the members of this company would think nothing of putting their own lives on the line in the hope of saving hers.

"Gandalf…I will not do anything that needlessly risks the lives of those dwarves,"

Gandalf laughed, "Arianna isn't going to kill them you know,"

"Maybe not," Thorin pressed, "But I don't want anyone getting injured or killed because they were trying to help her,"

Gandalf sighed, "Thorin listen to me. Arianna is not your average girl. Believe me on this. The likes of her have not been seen in Middle Earth before. I highly doubt she will need saving,"

"Hmm," Thorin blew a circle of smoke from his pipe, "I hope for the sake of the company that you are right,"

Gandalf laughed, "When am I not?"

Thorin raised an eyebrow as Gandalf got to his feet, "I had better check on our young hobbit,"

As he wandered off Thorin looked around, realising that the girl was nowhere to be seen. Instead he tried to listen to what Bilbo and Gandalf were saying. Out of the corner of his eyes he could see Balin join him,

"Do you think he will come?"

"Who?" Thorin knew who Balin meant,

"Bilbo,"

Thorin shrugged as he heard Gandalf try to convince Bilbo one more time. The walls in the hobbit hole were so thin Thorin could hear every word that was being said,

"Can you promise that I will come back?" Bilbo asked timidly. Thorin could imagine Gandalf shaking his head,

"No. But if you do, you will not be the same,"

"That's what I thought. I'm sorry Gandalf," Bilbo said sadly, "You're going to have to find someone else."

Thorin looked up to see Bilbo walking down a corridor towards his bedroom. He leant against the walls. Despite his doubt of the hobbits ability, Thorin had seen something in Bilbo eyes when he had looked at that map. He'd seen interest and excitement at the prospect of an adventure. Balin sighed,

"Well…it seems we've lost our burglar,"

Thorin said nothing. Balin looked at him,

"Maybe it was for the best. After all what are we really? Tinkers, tailors…toymakers. Hardly the stuff of legends,"

Thorin glanced at his friend, "There are a few warriors amongst us,"

Balin frowned, "Old warriors,"

Thorin despaired at seeing his friend like this. He looked Balin in the eye, "I would take each and every one of these dwarves over an army from the iron hills. For when I called upon them they answered. Loyalty. Honour. I can ask for no more than that,"

As Balin looked at him; Thorin swore he saw the corners of his mouth turned up in a smile.

* * *

The sky outside was awash with stars. Arianna sat on the wooden bench outside Bag – End and lit her pipe. She hadn't quite mastered the art of blowing smoke circles that were bigger than a coin but she was determined to try. Inside she could hear the low voices of the dwarves. They were singing again but this time it was a far cry from the cheerful song they had been singing earlier. That one had been filled with happiness and laughter. This song was filled with sorrow and memory. Arianna closed her eyes as he heard the company sing of old legends and tales. She brought one leg up to her chest and rested her arm on it as she looked up at the night sky,

"Arianna?"

She looked up at Gandalf's voice. He stood on the steps in front of her, "Why are you out here by yourself?"

"I wanted to think," Arianna smiled as she blew a large circle from her pipe. She put it by her side and looked up at Gandalf,

"Why have you brought me here Gandalf? What use am I to Thorin?"

Gandalf sat down on the bench beside her, "Arianna you cannot hide away forever."

"Yes I can Gandalf. It's how I've managed to stay alive,"

Gandalf frowned at her, "What's the matter? You seem scared of this quest,"

"I am not scared," she snapped. She instantly regretted it and looked down, "I'm not scared of the quest. It's just…" she looked Gandalf in the eyes, "Gandalf I'm a danger to them! This…thing inside me. I cannot control it. I'm a monster,"

Gandalf narrowed his eyes and gripped her shoulders,

"You are not a monster Arianna. Even if others ever call you that you will never say it of yourself!"

Taken aback by his outburst she nodded.

"Mithrandir…" she began. Gandalf shushed her before giving her a warm smile before getting up,

"Don't say out too late. We're having an early start tomorrow,"

Arianna nodded, "What about Bilbo? Is he coming?"

Gandalf sighed, "I am not sure," with that he turned and headed back up the stone steps. As he opened the door Arianna heard the loud voices of the dwarves. Their song had clearly finished and she picked her pipe back up before gazing back up at the sky.

* * *

Fili stood in the open doorway with his arms folded. He had stood there for several minutes, just watching the girl. He couldn't explain it. There was something about her that just…intrigued him. When she had brought a pipe out Fili couldn't help but smile. He watched her as she looked up at the stars. Fili had never understood what people saw in the night sky. He admitted in its beauty but that was as far as he went. For a second he was tempted to go back inside when he decided against it. This girl – Arianna – had an air of mystery about her. She had also made quite an impression on his younger brother. As far as Fili was concerned, she could make things far more entertaining on this quest. He carefully made his way down the stone steps and waited until he was right by the bench before speaking,

"Penny for your thoughts?"

He bit down on his laugh as Arianna jumped and whipped her head round. When she saw it was him she relaxed. Fili indicated the pipe,

"Is that yours?"

"I did not steal it if that is what you mean,"

"I never said you did,"

"No but you implied it,"

Fili nodded in acceptance before frowning at her. She was so on edge. So guarded. He remembered Gandalf's words,

"_This girl has known more hardship than you can ever guess,"  
_

Fili glanced at her neck. Although her hair covered most of it the moon light shone on her necklace. A long silver chain that held a small sapphire.

"Where did you get that necklace?"

Her hand jumped to her throat. He sat down beside her and gave her his best pleading look. It worked wonders on everyone – even Thorin – and sure enough she smiled at him,

"It was my mothers. It's cheap, ugly, old…but it's the only thing I have of her. Which makes it the most precious thing I can ever own."

Fili watched her face. He saw no tears, her voice didn't shake. His curiosity rose and for a second he was tempted to ask about her mother before deciding against it. He could tell that Arianna didn't want to talk about it. He watched as her gaze returned to the sky and he followed her eyes. They shone in the starlight and Fili was surprised to see fear in them. He opened his mouth to say something before he shut it and got to his feet,

"I'd come inside if you want to get a bed,"

Arianna smiled at him, "I'm going to sleep out here tonight,"

"Fili frowned, "But it's freezing,"

"Well I'm going to be spending several nights sleeping outside. Might as well get used to it," she smiled before stretching out on the bench. In truth she wanted nothing more than a nice warm bed by the fireside. But her past few sleep shad been filled with nightmares. Every night she would wake up screaming. Arianna didn't want the other dwarves to see that side of her. Fili smiled at her and turned to go before stopping and removing his heavy, fur lined coat. Arianna didn't move as he draped it over her but as he turned to go he heard her mutter,

"Good night Fili,"

He smiled, "Good night," however he could still see her eyes were open. A thought came to him,

"Are you…are you sure you want to come on this quest with us?"

Arianna looked up at him "Why do you ask?"

"Well," Fili began. Knowing she wouldn't like what he was about to say. "Well…it's going to be dangerous and…"

"And it's too dangerous for a woman," she finished for him. Fili paused before nodding. Arianna glared at him,

"Please Fili; don't make me throw a knife at you,"

Fili swallowed slowly. As he turned he saw her smile,

"Besides, I didn't walk all this way just for the exercise,"

Fili allowed himself a small laugh. Taking one last look at the sky he stepped back into the warmth of Bilbo' house and shut the green door behind him. As soon as he had taken a step into the corridor he saw both Thorin and Dwalin watching him closely,

"Where is the assassin?" Dwalin glared at Fili. He was still fuming over Arianna's actions with the knives. Fili shrugged,

"She said she would sleep outside tonight,"

When Thorin rolled his eyes Fili felt oddly protective towards the girl,

"Uncle she isn't going to run away."

Thorin raised an eyebrow before pushing past his nephew. Fili meanwhile noticed his brother staring out of the open window at the sleeping form of the assassin. Fili grinned as he saw the strange look on his brother's face,

"Coming little brother?"

Kili waved a hand at him, "In a minute brother,"

Fili nodded before going off to find the most comfortable sleeping spot. Meanwhile Kili sighed to himself as he took one final look at Arianna. She pulled Fili's coat over her body and brought her knees up to her chest. As he fingers curled around the fur coat Kili felt an odd stab of jealousy. He had overhead the whole conversation between Arianna and Fili – not that he was going to admit it to them - and he couldn't help but wish he had been talking to her instead of his older brother. He sighed despondently. He could see where this was going to go. His older brother who had the better facial hair and was the better fighter was going to get the girl. Kili clenched his fist before shaking his head. He hadn't come on this quest to be in competition with Fili. He'd come to prove himself to both Thorin, his mother and all the others back home who believed he was still a child just because he had no beard. He leant his head against the window as he took one last look at the girl who had gazed at the stars and for whom the stars had gazed back.

_**Okay so sorry about the slightly short filler chapter here but I wanted to try and add a bit more mystery to Arianna's character as well as adding depth to some of the dwarves. Still I hope you enjoyed this update nevertheless. **_


	5. Stories, Secrets and Pocket Handkerchief

_**Thanks to BeanieBaby96, DevoirRRB, SineNominae and neatfreak16 for following me!**_

_**Drwatsonn – Thanks once again for the in depth review (I don't really think it got out of control). I don't really know where that last line came from…it just sort of appeared.**_

_**Translation(s) are at the bottom.**_

Stories, Secrets and Pocket Handkerchiefs

The company had set off early the next day – without their burglar. Gandalf had broken the news to them all last night that Master Baggins would not be joining them and to her surprise, Arianna found that some of the dwarf's faces fell. She snorted in disgust. She had met several trained thieves in her time. Master Baggins didn't even look like a petty pickpocket, never mind a burglar. Nevertheless, she had thought the prospect of adventure would have got the hobbit to join the company. She had even betted on him coming. Arianna's head nodded dumbly from exhaustion. She'd opted to sleep outside in case she had another nightmare. Fortunately her sleep was only interrupted by the high pitched bird calls from a pair of thrush's that had landed on the roof of Bag - End. Looking up Arianna stifled a yawn as she saw Thorin making his way from the front of the group towards her. Arianna gave a low growl; ignoring the surprised look of Fili who rode beside her. He followed her gaze and gave a knowing nod as Thorin pulled his pony up against hers. Arianna hated the fact that she was too short to ride a real horse,

"Do not fall behind Arianna,"

Her eyes widened at his nerve. She wasn't anywhere near the back of the group. That position was taken up by Oin, Gloin and Bombur. In Arianna's mind this made perfect sense. Those three were the fattest of the group. If they were setting the pace it would take them several lifetimes to reach Erebor. She turned to Thorin with an icy glare,

"Don't worry your majesty. I've no intention of falling behind,"

Thorin sniffed at her subtle insolence, "I've been fortunate to be rid of one burden. I don't need another,"

"I can assure you I've no intention of being a burden," Arianna gripped her reins tightly as Thorin nodded,

"I will not be responsible for your safety,"

"I don't recall asking you to," Arianna snapped. Thorin's eyes glowered at her before he turned his pony around and trotted back to his place at the front of the group. Arianna looked down at her hands,

"_Pe – channas!"_ she muttered under her breath, unaware that Fili had moved his own pony closer towards her. Arianna instincts caused her hand to silently move towards her boot where she'd managed to conceal a tiny knife, no bigger than her foot. Her eyes caught a movement to her side and she looked up to find Fili's blue eyes staring at her,

"I don't think killing Thorin is going to be the best way to make him like you,"

Oddly enough Arianna suddenly felt guilty. She wasn't sure what caused this. Maybe it was his deep blue eyes that gazed up at her. Or the smile that tugged on his lips as he gazed ahead,

"I wouldn't worry about it. He can be insufferable on occasion,"

"Can we make that plural?" Arianna asked. Fili sniggered and she smiled at the dwarf. Looking up she saw his younger brother watching them carefully. As soon as Arianna's eyes met his Kili hurriedly looked away. Fili raised an eyebrow and Arianna leaned across,

"He's afraid of me isn't he?"

Fili paused and Arianna could tell he wanted to stick up for his brother. She felt a pull at her chest at seeing the familiar bond between siblings. It had been so long since she had felt it herself. In the end Fili nodded – more to himself than anything,

"He's never met an assassin before. Certainly not a member of the Kira Katil,"

"Ex member," she quickly clarified, "I gave up being an assassin a while ago," Fili raised an eyebrow,

"I thought once you joined there was no turning back. No option to leave,"

His knowledge took Arianna by surprise. She had always been told that the only thing people knew about the Kira Katil was its existence and reputation for breeding the world's best assassins. She looked at the dwarf with a hint of interest,

"Well, you might be a prince. But at least you aren't stupid,"

Fili stared at her, "Who said I was a prince?"

Arianna snorted, "Please, it's not hard to work out."

When Fili raised an eyebrow Arianna rolled her eyes,

"For a start your reaction just now confirmed it for me. It's your clothes. You, your brother and Thorin all have the nicest clothes of the whole company. Thorins being a king explains his finery,"

"We could just have lots of money?" Fili countered. Arianna nodded but smiled,

"Yes but how do you explain your resemblance to Thorin. Both you and your brother look almost exactly like him," she paused and looked him up and down, "You aren't his sons. The resemblance isn't that uncanny. Nephews maybe?"

Fili's frown told her she was right on all counts. He sniffed and Arianna couldn't help but add one final comment,

"Also the way your hold yourself. Arrogant, superior to all. So much like your uncle,"  
Fili turned to her with a wounded expression until he saw her break into a grin. He shook his head,

"Very funny,"

"Well," Arianna batted her eyelashes, "I thought so,"

Fili went to return the comment when Arianna's hand flew to her sword. Fili watched her carefully,

"What is it?"

She turned her head to look behind her,

"We're being followed," she hissed. Fili's eyes grew dark and he pulled out a sword. Seeing his actions the dwarves around them stopped and drew their own weapons. Looking up Arianna saw Gandalf making his way towards her,

"Someone's following us," she whispered. To her surprise Gandalf merely nodded and smiled. Arianna frowned until she heard a voice cry out behind her,

"Wait! Wait!"

Arianna sheathed her sword as the small figure of Bilbo Baggin's staggered towards them. He clutched a large scrap of parchment in one hand and held a walking stick in the other. Arianna raised her eyebrows at the burgundy jacket but remained silent as Bilbo passed the parchment to Balin,

"I signed it," he looked up at the company, chest swelling with pride. Arianna watched Thorin out of the corner of her eye. The king's eye's never left Balin who was skimming through the contract before turning a kindly smile on Bilbo,

"Everything appears to be in order," he tucked the contract into a saddle bag,

"Welcome Master Baggins, to the company of Thorin Oakenshield,"

Bilbo grinned at the dwarves around him. Arianna noticed that many smiled back whilst others were winking at each other. Thorin meanwhile turned his pony around,

"Give him a pony," he snapped. Arianna watched Bilbo's face fall,

"No, no that won't be necessary," he stammered, "I'm sure I can keep up on foot,"

_Of course you can_, Arianna rolled her eyes as Bilbo began walking between the ponies,

"I've done my fair share if walking holidays. Even got as far as Frogmorton once,"

Arianna giggled as Bilbo was cut off by Fili and Kili who picked his up by his shoulders and plonked him on a pony. As Bilbo trotted towards Gandalf, Arianna turned to Fili, who was regarding her with an amused expression,

"What?" she didn't mean to sound as harsh as she did. He shrugged,

"Never thought I'd hear an assassin giggle,"

Arianna shook her head. These dwarves needed a bit of common sense being knocked into their heads.

As Bilbo clutched the reins in a vice like grip, Oin grinned cheerfully at him before calling out,

"Come on Nori. Pay up,"

Bilbo watched as the dwarves began to toss coins bags to one another. He looked as the girl held up her hand and caught a small bag from Bofur. He looked up at Gandalf,

"What's that about?"

The wizard smiled kindly at him, "They took bets on whether or not you'd turn up," he paused, "Most of them bet that you wouldn't,"

Bilbo nodded. His original enthusiasm was being dampened by the second. He turned to Gandalf,

"What did you think?"

"Well…" Gandalf shrugged before catching a small bag. As he pocketed it he looked over at Bilbo,

"My dear fellow. I never doubted you for a second,"

Bilbo's heart lifted. As long as Gandalf had confidence in him, he was sure the rest of the company would soon share the wizard's faith. His nose twitched and prickled before the hobbit let out a huge sneeze,

"Must be having a reaction," he muttered as he searched his pockets. His face fell as he found them to be empty,"

"No, wait. Wait!" Bilbo ignored the glares of the company as the group once again came to a halt. Gandalf frowned at him,

"My dear fellow what on earth it the matter?"

"I've forgotten my handkerchief," Bilbo cried. Gandalf rolled his eyes as Thorin ordered them to keep moving,

"Here ye go," Bilbo looked up just in time to catch a rag thrown by Bofur. He sniffed it and grimaced. Gandalf chuckled,

"You'll have to do without pocket handkerchiefs. And a good other things too Bilbo Baggins, before we reach our journey's end,"

Arianna grinned as she pocketed her own winnings. She saw Fili staring at her again. She also noticed that Kili had slowed his horse and was now riding on her other side,

"Why did you think he would come?"

Arianna looked at the dark haired dwarf, "He looks like the most useless burglar ever. But there was something in his eyes. He wanted to come. He wanted to go on a quest," she shrugged, "Plus I'm terribly competitive. You were all making bets. I wasn't going to be left out,"

Both Fili and Kili grinned at this. Kili looked the assassin up and down. Now they were in daylight he noticed she was thin. Not slender, but as though she hadn't had many good meals. He could feel Arianna's gaze rest on his face,

"How old are you?" the question was out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Fili snorted at Arianna's shocked expression and Kili could feel his neck going red,

"Sorry," he stammered, "You don't have to answer that,"

Fili was doubled up with laughter at his brothers face. Arianna meanwhile shook her head,

"You'd never believe it,"

That had now caught Kili's curiosity, "How old then?"

She paused before staring him straight in the eye, "60,"

Kili's mouth dropped open and Arianna didn't have to look round to know that Fili had done the same. The two princes gaped at her,

"But…" Fili wasn't sure what to say to her, "You don't look…"

Arianna gave him an enigmatic smile, "I said you wouldn't believe me,"

"You're one of the Dunedain aren't you?" Kili said quietly. Arianna's head snapped round and stared at his dark eyes. Arianna weighed up her options before deciding it would be simpler just to be honest. She nodded,

"I'm a descendant of them,"

Kili nodded and Arianna watched the young dwarf closely,

"How old are you then?"

"I'm 77 and Fili's 82," Kili replied calmly, "Which makes you the baby of the group,"

"Along with Ori," Fili added.

Arianna looked from one dwarf to the other before sighing to herself. She hadn't been the youngest for quite some time and it felt strange to be considered the 'baby' amongst the others. She watched the corners of Fili's mouth twitch and she whipped out a dagger and pretended to point it at him,

"If you think you can now call me the baby of the group then forget it,"

Fili sniffed and Arianna grinned wickedly at him, "Unless you want to end up like those mercs,"

Kili snickered as the blood drained his brothers face. Arianna replaced the knife and turned her attention back to the road ahead. Edging his pony towards her, Kili mustered up his courage,

"What did you do to them?" he asked as quietly as he could. However he wasn't quiet enough as most of the company had now focused their attention on Arianna who shifted in her saddle. She watched Kili carefully,

"I already told you last night,"

"Yeah but that was the short version," Kili insisted. Arianna looked down at him,

"You honestly want to know?"

"Aye come on," Bofur called out, "At least let us know what kind of lass we're travelling with,"

"Well," Arianna couldn't resist being the centre of attention. Especially when it came to storytelling. She cleared her throat dramatically,

"I had just arrived in Bree and I stopped at the Prancing Pony. I was stabling my horse when I heard a noise coming from the rafters above me. There were four of them. Tall, ugly looking men. Very stupid ones as well. They must have been drunk because they were practically screeching about how they had been sent to find and kill Thorin Oakenshield,"

Fili and Kili drew in a sharp breath at this and Arianna could feel the protectiveness emitting from the dwarf princes. She pushed that aside as she carried on with her tale,

"Anyway, I wasn't in the best position to hear them clearly so I managed to climb up onto the rafters behind them without being seen and caught the gist of what they were saying. I was there about…half an hour and I start getting this really sore pain in my backside,"

Arianna couldn't help but smile at the facial expressions on the dwarves. All of them were now smirking at each other,

"I tell myself to just sit still because this conversation is far more important than my own personal comfort. But I must have moved slightly because one of them looked up and realised that there was a large black shape watching him and his friends. I made to move when he grabbed my ankle and pulled me forward. As I said earlier they were all stupid enough to think I was the tavern wench. Although they were so drunk they'd have thought my horse was the tavern wench,"

"What happened next?" Fili asked. Arianna paused; wondering just how graphic she should make this next bit. Looking around at the eager faces of her companions she licked her lips,

"The second they starting pawing at me I whipped out my knives and said that if they didn't remove their hands then I would remove them _of _their hands. All but one complied and as for him…well. Like I said earlier, he won't be having children after what my knife did to him. I then took their…contract and went straight to Gandalf,"

Her eyes had never left Kili's face throughout the entire story and as the group stared at her in shocked silence she wondered if it had been a good idea to tell the whole story. Kili swallowed nervously and she gave him her sweetest smile,

"Well you did ask," she said. Nodding nervously Kili clicked his heels and his pony moved away from Arianna and towards the relative safety of Bofur and Bifur. Biting her lip Arianna gripped her reins tightly as the ponies began to make their way down a rocky, narrow path. She could see the back of Fili and as soon as the path widened she drew her horse next to his,

"That was quite a story," he admitted. Arianna shrugged modestly,

"All of it's true," 

"Somehow I can believe that,"

Arianna eyed him. For a second she could have sworn he was afraid of her. She blew her fringe away from her eyes before looking at him reassuringly,

"Trust me Fili. No matter how much you all annoy me I swear I won't do that to any of you,"

The dwarf was silent before nodding thankfully, "That's certainly reassuring to know,"  
There was an awkward silence before Bilbo piped up,

"How do you know Gandalf?"

Arianna swore under her breath. Why did she have to mention Gandalf? She turned to face the inquisitive hobbit,

"I met him a couple of years ago," the lie rolled easily off her tongue. In truth she'd know Gandalf almost all her life. Not that she was about to tell the company that. Bilbo nodded and Arianna wondered if she was going to be able to have some peace when she heard Dwalin's voice in her ear,

"Why did you not take the job yourself?"

"I'm sorry?" Arianna had heard Dwalin correctly the first time. She just wanted to see if he'd dare say it again. The warrior dwarf glared at her,

"Well it would have been worth a lot of money. Why decide to come and help us? Why not try and kill us and reap the rewards?"

Arianna had never wanted to stick a knife into anyone so badly. She saw Fili give her a warning look out of the corner of her eye. Trying desperately to regain her composure she fixed Dwalin with her fiercest gaze,

"Believe it or not master dwarf, but I do have morals you know. I would rather die the most agonising death possible than do the work of the servants of evil. Besides…if I did want to kill you I would have done it before any of you had even reached Bag – End."

Allowing the dwarf to take all of this in, Arianna swung her horse around and fixed her gaze on the road ahead,

"_Pe – Channas!"_ she could have said far worse things but she didn't think it fair to disgrace the language of the elves with insults towards Dwalin. Fili eyed her suspiciously and tapped her on the shoulder,

"What you said just now,"

"What about it?"

"You muttered something in Elvish didn't you?" his kind blue eyes bore into her. Arianna shook her head but Fili grabbed her arm,

"Don't lie, I heard you. You said it about Thorin earlier didn't you?" he narrowed his eyes,

"Are you an elf?"

Arianna was taken aback by the disgust in his voice. She shook her head and pulled her hair away to reveal her rounded ears,

"Fili I'm an assassin. Knowing more than one language is a very valuable skill in our line of work. I learnt a few phrases just in case I ever needed them,"

Arianna watched the prince's face carefully. She needed him to believe her. Both for her own sake and just to make everyone's lives incredibly easier. To her relief Fili accepted her lie. He nodded slowly and gave her a slight smile,

"Sorry. It's just that, Thorin hates Elves and everything about them. Don't let him catch you speaking Elvish,"

"Why not?" Arianna highly doubted that Thorin Oakenshield would really be able to do anything to hurt her. Fili looked over to see his uncle frowning at both him and the assassin. He turned back to Arianna,

"There are many things my uncle is able to forgive. But that will never be one of them"

Arianna nodded. She had heard from Gandalf about Thorins…relationship with the elves. Her stomach churned slightly. If any of the company found out about her past… She still doubted that Thorin would be able to hurt her, but Arianna didn't really want to give him the challenge.

**Translations**

**Pe – channas** – Idiot

_**So then…how does Arianna know Elvish? **_

_**Hope you enjoyed the growing friendship between Arianna, Fili and Kili – it'll become more of a thing in later chapters.**_

_**Always enjoy hearing feedback on this story.**_


	6. Nightmare

_**Oh my god! Almost 700 views and we're only one chapter five! Really appreciate everyone who's reading and following me because it means such a lot to me.**_

_**Thanks to whoever posted the Guest reviews – Don't worry…this chapter should give you more info about Arianna's nightmares. Also I was hoping she'd come across as a bit of a badass!**_

Nightmare

Kili poked at the fire with a large stick of wood whilst his brother sat beside him, sharpening his sword. Gloin sat by the cooking pot and the smells that tingled Kili's nose were making his stomach grumble with hunger and impatience. He looked up to see his uncle lying on his back, hands folded over his chest. Kili smiled at the sight of his uncle sleeping peacefully. He knew that Thorin's nights had rarely gone interrupted over the recent weeks through stress and fear of attack. As he jabbed at the fire again sparks flew over him and his brother, who fell backwards in shock,

"What the hell Kili!"

"Sorry," Kili left the stick by his side and picked up his own knife. Fili shook his head fondly at his younger brother,

"I appreciate the warmth but I don't think I need to be set on fire,"

Kili grinned sheepishly before he allowed his gaze to move towards the forest they had just left. Arianna and Bofur had gone hunting over an hour ago and Kili's chest tightened as the forest remained void of any life. Absentmindedly he ran his finger along the flat of his blade,

"They've been gone too long," he muttered. Fili raised an eyebrow,

"Don't tell me you're worried about the safety of an assassin?"

Kili shook his head but was careful not to meet his brother's gaze. Fili could read Kili like a book and could tell when he was lying before he'd even had the chance to open his mouth. Instead he just shrugged,

"It's Bofur I'm worried about. I don't want the resident toymaker to fall foul of Arianna," he grinned at his brother before turning his attention back to the fire. Fili kept a careful watch on Kili's actions before laying his back against the large rock face and shutting his eyes. The snap of branches and the crunch of footsteps caused him to open them instantly and he, Kili and the rest of the company reached for the nearest weapons available. As the figures of Bofur and Arianna emerged from the darkness Fili sighed and smiled to himself as he saw the relieved look on Kili's face that was being directed at Arianna. Both she and Bofur had several rabbits slung over their shoulders and she dropped down by Gloin, who looked at her with a wounded expression,

"This stew tastes absolutely fine without the addition of rabbit's thank you very much,"

Fili shook his head at the dwarfs pride as Arianna merely shrugged her shoulders,

"That's okay Gloin. We'll have the lovely rabbit stew and you can stick with the plain one you're doing now,"

"Yes well…" Gloin mumbled as Arianna knelt beside him and began skinning one of the rabbits. Kili eyed her with interest,

"Doesn't it make you feel squeamish?"

"Does it make you feel squeamish?"

Kili frowned, "I asked you first," he said in an attempt to avoid the question. The truth was it _did_ make him feel queasy. But he wasn't about to admit that in front of an assassin.

_Touché_ Arianna thought. She placed the rabbit aside and faced the dwarf,

"When you're living alone, surviving on whatever you can find you can't afford to be squeamish. If you get squeamish then you go hungry,"

Kili watched the assassin. How many times had _she_ gone without food? Judging by her figure he guessed it happened on a regular basis. Gloin began adding the rabbits to the stew whilst Arianna moved towards the fire to try and get warm. She drew her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her body. She was aware of both brothers watching her and she kept her eyes on the bright orange flames in front of her,

"Here you go,"

Arianna took the offered bowl from Gloin, who gave her a gruff smile,

"Can't have our rabbit catcher going hungry,"

"Hey don't forget my contribution!" Bofur called out as he pushed past Gloin to get his share of the food. Arianna sniffed the stew cautiously before taking a mouthful. She shut her eyes in happiness as she felt the warm rabbit stew coat her mouth and make its way towards her very hungry stomach. As she opened her eyes she saw both Fili and Kili staring at her with bemused looks on their faces,

"Is it good then?" Fili asked. Arianna shrugged,

"I don't think you'll die from eating it," she instantly ducked to avoid a spoon hitting her in the head. She turned to Gloin and gave him an expression of innocence. Meanwhile many of the other dwarves were still talking about the rumours they had heard of the Kira Katil,

"I heard the assassins are cursed. One touch and you're a dead man in seconds," Oin said. Nori shook his head,

"In which case…how are we all still standing?"

"Well…"Oin glared at the dwarf who sat back,

"I heard that where ever they go they never leave a soul alive. No survivors,"

Arianna smirked and turned to Nori, "No survivors? Then where do all these stories come from?"

The dwarf had no answer to that and Oin clapped him on the back. As Arianna devoured her dinner Kili looked down at his own bowl,

"Arianna, do you want to go and see if any of the others want food?"

She raised an eyebrow, "What am I, the companies' servant?"

Kili shook his head, "Of course not. But I think they'd prefer to be woken by you than by one of us,"

He watched as the assassin looked from him to Fili before getting up and taking a couple of bowls towards the sleeping group of dwarves. As soon as her back was turned Kili reached over and poured half of his stew into Arianna's bowl. Fili raised an eyebrow,

"Don't you like the stew brother?"

Kili didn't respond to his brothers jokes. He could get by on less food for a while. He had a strong feeling Arianna couldn't.

Arianna looked at the sleeping dwarves before her. As tempting as it was to wake them all up she decided it would be nicer just to let them sleep. Leaving the stew bowls on a small rock beside the sleeping group she watched as the small figure of Bilbo fed an apple to his pony. A smile flickered on her face at the care in which the hobbit stroked Myrtle's forehead. Heading back to the fire she looked at her bowl suspiciously. She was sure there hadn't been as much stew in it earlier. Her eyes flashed to Fili and Kili who were busy in conversation. Shaking her head Arianna sat back down to eat when the peaceful silence was interrupted by a loud, feral howl in the distance. The two brothers looked up at the sound and Arianna saw Thorin get to his feet – a look of worry etched onto his face,

"What was that?" Arianna looked over to see Bilbo making his way towards them. The hobbits face was as white as a sheet,

"Orcs," Kili's voice was low and serious. Everyone turned to look at the young dwarf and in the blink of an eye Arianna had two lethal looking knives in her hand. Bilbo face fell,

"Orcs?"

Fili nodded, clearly enjoying the look of terror on Bilbo's face,

"Throat cutters. They'll be dozens of them out there. The lowlands are crawling with them,"

"They strike in the wee small hours when everyone's asleep," Kili joined in, "Quick and quite. No screams," his dark eyes locked onto Bilbo's face, "Just lots of blood,"  
For a second Arianna thought Bilbo was about to faint again. Then – to her disgust – both princes looked at each other and grinned. Kili was almost about to burst into laughter when Thorins voice cut through the night air,

"You think that's funny? You think a night raid by Orcs is a joke?"

Kili's face fell at his uncle's disapproval, "We didn't mean anything by it,"

"No you didn't," Thorin turned away from his nephew, "You know nothing of the world."  
As he walked away Arianna realised both Fili and Kili were staring at the knives in her hand. She glowered at them,

"Your sense of humour amazes me," sheathing her weapons she looked over at Balin who had made his way towards them,

"Don't mind him laddie. Thorin has more cause than most to hate Orcs," his eyes strayed to the fire, almost as if he could see images inside it,

"After the dragon took the lonely mountain, King Thror tried to reclaim the ancient dwarf kingdom of Moria. But our enemy had gotten their first."

Arianna looked over to see several of the company were making their way towards the fireplace. Haunted looks in their eyes as Balin continued,

"Moria had been taken. By legions of Orcs, led by the vile of their entire race. Azog the Defiler, The Gundabad Orc had sworn to wipe out the line of Durin. He began…by beheading the king. Thrain, Thorins father was driven mad with grief and went missing. Killed or captured, we did not know. We were leaderless. Death and defeat were upon us. And that's when I saw him." Balin smiled at the fire, "A young dwarf prince facing down the pale Orc. He stood alone against this terrible foe. His armour rent, wielding nothing but a broken branch as a shield."

Arianna smiled at the pride in Balins voice as his gaze moved to where Thorin now stood,

"Azog the Defiler learned that day, that the line of Durin would not be so easily broken. Our forces rallied and drove the Orcs back. Our enemy had been defeated," the rest of the company watched the tears form in Balins eyes,

"But there was no feast that night. For our dead lay beyond the count of grief. We few had survived. And I thought to myself then, there is one I could follow. There is one that I could call king,"

Arianna watched as everyone turned to see Thorin standing before them. His own eyes wet with tears,

"And the pale Orc. What happened to him?" Bilbo asked quietly. Balin sighed as Thorin marched forward,

"He slunk back into the hole from whence he came," he snarled as he lay back down, "That filth died of his wounds long ago,"

The dwarves all looked at each other for a second before slowly moving back to their respective bed rolls. As Arianna got to her feet. Kili looked at her,

"Why do you hate Orcs so much?" as innocent as his question was, Arianna glared,

"I didn't realise I needed a specific reason!" she spat. Kili looked away and Arianna sighed guiltily. She swept her hair over one shoulder and turned to show the dwarf her neck. They were silent as they looked at the ugly looking scar that ran down one side of her neck and just stopped halfway up her cheek,

"That's why," she said softly, "I know what it's like to have your home taken from you."

To her surprise the two looked guiltier at her words than their uncles. Arianna turned away from them. Thorin was right. They knew nothing. As she moved towards her own bed she looked at Gandalf and Balin. Unknown to the others; the three of them shared a look. A look of anxiety and fear. Arianna gripped her mothers necklace.

She knew Azog the defiler was not dead.

* * *

_The little girl huddled behind the ruined remains of a house. Or maybe it had been a barn? Or just an old building? She couldn't tell. Everything looked the same now. Charred. Burnt out. She put a hand over her mouth as her nose caught the foul stench of an Orc. She shut her eyes,_

"_Mummy?" she whispered, tears leaking from her eyes. Mummy had told her to hide here. She had been told to wait for her to come back. _

_But mummy didn't say what to do if an Orc came._

_The girl didn't dare breathe as she saw the huge feet of the Orc stop mere inches from her hiding place. She screamed as an arm reached down and dragged her out into the body twisted and writhed in the Orcs grasp. Its breath felt hot on her neck and she shut her eyes to try and block out the surrounding screams, _

"_Mummy! Mummy help me!" tears ran down her cheeks as the girl looked around the burnt out village. The Orc sniffed her face, _

"_Mummy isn't coming," the common tongue sounded alien in his mouth. The girl screamed as a black shape of a Warg jumps over the girl and the Orc. Saliva and blood drip from its fangs and the murderous look in its eyes drains the blood from her face. As the Orcs hold bruises her wrists she sobs aloud. She's helpless. She can do nothing. Everything happens so fast. There's a flash of a blade, a searing pain in her neck. Her blood chilling screams pierce the night air, mingled with the sound of the Orcs laughter. She can feel the blood trail down her neck and onto her shoulders. It's sticky. Hot. Fresh tears form in her eyes as she struggles in her captors grip, _

"_I will not be afraid," the words have given her mother courage over the years – hopefully they will do the same to her. Only every time she looks at the Orcs face the courage vanishes from her body. She knows this is the end for her. She has one last chance to try to escape and yet her body is refusing to take it. The wargs begin to surround her. She can sense their hunger. Their thirst for her blood. She glares at the Orc as he grins at her. The knife marks that surround his face and chest standing out against his skin. He sniffs her again before lifting her to her feet. She hisses in pain as another Orc runs his finger in the blood that covers her neck and she almost throws up as he licks it. The Orcs scream at each other in Black Speech as her head spins. She can smell the smoke coming from the nearby village. The bright flames dance in front of her eyes. Masking the face of the Orc who throws her to the ground, _

"_Kill it," he turns his back and the Wargs close in on her shaking form. She screams as the largest launches at her. Then, suddenly, the wargs have gone. A blast of darkness rips through the pack – scattering their torn bodies. Covering her face with her hands the girl peeps through her fingers at the carnage. As she does so she spots the Orc. He grins at her before cursing in black speech. His clawed hand reaches for her as another scream rips from her throat._

Arianna sat bolt upright as her scream tailed off. Sweat dripped down her face and she clasped her shaking hands together as tears formed in her eyes. Looking round she saw to her relief that the rest of the company were still snoring to their hearts content

"Are you alright?"

Arianna bit down on yet another scream as she saw Kili sitting by the dying fire. His dark eyes filled with concern as he looked over at her. Arianna nodded,

"It was just a nightmare. I'm fine" her fingers gingerly traced the scar on her neck and she could feel Kili's eyes watching her every movement,

"No you're not. You're shivering," he sat down beside her and removed his coat. Arianna's shoulders stiffened at his touch. But as he draped his thick coat over her shoulders she gave him a grateful smile. Kili's heart warmed slightly as he slowly placed an arm over her shoulders. Arianna glanced warily at him before resting her head on his shoulder. She could feel the tears in her eyes and she hurriedly blinked them back. The last thing she needed was to cry in front of Kili,

"I'm sorry about earlier," Kili's voice whispered in her ear, "What we said about Orcs was…insensitive,"

Arianna snorted at this. She couldn't help it. Kili gave her a hurtful look,

"What's so funny?"

She shook her head and smiled warmly at him, "It's just the way you said it. Insensitive,"

"What's wrong with saying that?" Kili looked at her and she wiped the tears from her eyes,

"I'm an assassin. I don't do 'sensitive',"

"I've noticed," he said dryly. Arianna elbowed him gently. Kili smirked at her, but as he saw fresh tears in her eyes his face softened,

"Do you want to talk about it?" he whispered. Arianna shook her head. She'd tried to talk to people before about her nightmares and she had learnt it was better if she just kept quiet and pretended everything was fine. Gently removing herself from under his arm she handed him back his coat,

"I should really get some sleep," she yawned. Kili nodded and allowed her to make her way back to her bed. He moved towards Fili in order to wake him for his turn on watch when Arianna called back to him,

"Kili?"

"Yes?"

She gave him a warm smile, "Thank you,"

As he watched her settle back to sleep Kili could feel himself blushing. He held his coat close to him and lay down on the ground beside Fili, who was just waking up,

"You're on watch," Kili muttered with his eyes shut. He ignored his brother's groans as he turned onto his side and tried to get a decent night's sleep.

* * *

When Kili woke the sun had only just rose in the sky. The smell of burnt wood hit him instantly and he wrinkled his nose with a grimace. Looking round he saw the small shapes of the company around him. Clearly he was the first one awake. He got to his feet and rubbed in eyes in an attempt to wake up properly when his gaze landed on the empty space where Arianna was supposed to be sleeping. Kili's chest tightened as he looked around frantically for any sign of her,

"94, 95, 96,"

Kili looked up to see the figure of Arianna hanging from a tree branch above him. She was doing pull ups and he could see the sweat on her brow,

"97, 98, 99, 100"

As soon as she had finished Kili's mouth dropped open as Arianna swung herself up and did a handstand on the branch before letting go and somersaulting in the air - landing perfectly.

"Show off," Kili muttered. Arianna grinned,

"Morning,"

Kili gave her a weak smile, "How long have you been up?"

She shrugged, "Not long. I always get up early. Plus nearly every single one of you snores. How on earth you all sleep through it is unbelievable."

Kili grinned at this, "Who has the loudest snore?"

He almost laughed at Arianna's quick answer, "Gloin. I actually thought I was sleeping next to an Oliphant!"

Kili watched as she sat by the dead fire. He could see no sign of the nightmare she'd had last night. He sat down opposite her and watched her run her fingers through her auburn hair,

"Any more nightmares?" he kept his voice low in case any of the other dwarves woke up. Arianna shook her head,

"I haven't had that one for a while. I think last night's conversation brought it on," she looked over at him, "Can you do me a favour please?"

Kili knew what she was going to say. He nodded, "I won't tell anyone. You have my word,"

"Thanks," as she got to her feet Kili noticed a mark on her skin, peeking out from underneath her shirt.

"What's that?"

Arianna quickly pulled her shirt back up but Kili grabbed her hand and moved it away. As he pulled the fabric down Arianna sighed. Kili stared at the burn on her shoulder. A circle with a small triangle inside it.

"Who did this to you?" Kili's voice was dark. Arianna yanked her shirt over the mark,

"It's part of the induction ritual into the Kira Katil,"

Kili let her walk off. As he watched her retreating back a thought struck him. Fili had said that no one was ever allowed to leave the Kira Katil once they had joined. In which case. How had Arianna managed to escape?

_**Hope everyone enjoyed the little Arianna/Kili moment there. Always love to hear peoples opinions.**_


	7. Hidden Enemy

_**Thanks to Bunny's daughter, Telekinesis Fae Flamingsword, elise5cka and silver – eyedLadyofDarkness for following me.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – Don't worry; I try to update as regularly as possible.**_

Hidden Enemy

Arianna pulled her cloak further over her shoulders. Her clothes and hair stuck to her skin from the constant barrage of rain that had begun the second the company had mounted their ponies. Her wet hands slipped on the reins and she gripped her horse with her knees to try and keep control. Daring to lift her head Arianna was relieved to see that she wasn't the only one who resembled a drowned rat. Beside her she saw Dori looking over at the tall figure of Gandalf,

"Here, Mr Gandalf," his voice rang in Arianna's ears and she looked to see the wizard turn his head,

"Can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori wiped the rain from his face and Arianna could see that many of the dwarves were looking at Gandalf expectantly. However the wizard merely smiled,

"It is rain, master dwarf. And it will continue to rain until the rain is done,"

_Oh very helpful_ Arianna sighed. Gandalf looked over at her and for a second she wondered if he could read her mind. However he simply said,

"If you wish to change the weather of the world you should find yourself another wizard,"

"Are there any?" Bilbo glanced up at Gandalf through his fringe which was plastered to his forehead. Arianna looked up with interest. She'd never heard Gandalf mention any other wizards,

"There are five of us," Gandalf replied, "The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two blues," he paused and frowned, "Do you know I've quite forgotten their names,"

Arianna wondered just how true this really was. Gandalf's memory was almost infallible. She looked up as he continued,

"And lastly there's Radagast, the Brown,"

"Is he a great wizard…or is he more like you?" Bilbo gave Arianna a cheeky grin and she laughed at the disgruntled look on Gandalf's face,

"I think he's a very great wizard. In his own way,"

"But of course," Arianna smiled, "Not as great as Gandalf,"

She didn't catch Gandalf reply but she saw him sit a little taller in his saddle. Arianna shook her head. And people claimed she had a big ego. She'd known Radagast fairly well – although not as well as Gandalf thought - and she found him to be a lot simpler than Gandalf. For one thing he didn't start speaking in riddles. Gandalf looked back over his shoulder at Bilbo,

"He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and I good thing to. For always will evil look to find a foothold in this world."

Arianna looked over at Bilbo who was staring at Gandalf. Her own stomach churned slightly. She knew the sort of evil Gandalf spoke of. She had fought it enough times. The rain began to come down even heavier now and she could feel a strong wind picking up. Her nose prickled and she let out a colossal sneeze – much to the amusement of the dwarves. She sniffed and looked over to see Kili beside her. Arianna watched the young dwarf with interest. He'd stayed close beside her all morning and was now looking at her in concern as she sneezed again,

"How are you?"

Arianna looked at him, "As well as I can be in this present situation,"

Kili gave her an apologetic smile, "I'd offer you my coat again. But I'm afraid it's already engaged in keeping myself nice and dry,"

Arianna laughed. She laughed even more as Kili gave her a bashful smile in return. She didn't even notice Bofur on her other side,

"What's all this then? Did our young Kili offer ye his coat one night then?"

Kili's face went bright red as his brother and the rest of the dwarves sniggered to each other. Arianna rolled her eyes,

"With all due respect Bofur, we were having a private conversation just now. But in answer to your question no he did not,"

She ignored the surprised look Kili gave her. Instead she smiled as Bofur tapped his hat by way of an apology before riding forward to join Dori and Ori. Kili tapped her shoulder,

"Thanks for that,"

Arianna ignored him. Her gaze remained on where Bofur had been just a few minutes ago. Despite the pouring rain her keen eyes could just make out a tall figure hidden amongst the trees. Arianna pulled her horse to a halt and leaned forward in an attempt to get a better look. Kili and Fili looked at her worriedly,

"What is it?" Fili whispered. Arianna shook her head,

"I'm not sure," Arianna was about to move her horse forward again when a slight movement caught her attention. She watched as the figure moved forward and took something from his back. Arianna's eyes widened and she reacted instinctively. Letting go of the reins she leant back as far as could in the saddle. Not breathing as the arrow skimmed over her stomach and embedded itself into a nearby tree. The ponies around her began to rear up and she could hear the shouts of the dwarves all around her. Sliding her feet from the stirrups Arianna rolled off her horse and landed in a crouch. She pulled her bow out and hissed in pain as she felt another arrow hit her side. She yanked it out and fitted it to her own bow before firing. To her surprise she saw not one but two arrows fly towards the trees and as she looked up she saw Kili standing over her; his gaze fixed on the direction of the figure,

"Coward," Arianna muttered as she saw the figure disappear from view. As she got to her feet she pressed a hand to her side and gritted her teeth in pain,

"What's going on?" Thorin glared at Arianna who ignored him. She didn't have time for the king's bad moods right now. Instead she let Fili answer his uncle,

"Someone took a shot at Arianna,"

Arianna could feel Thorin's gaze on the back of her neck. Deliberately ignoring him she pulled her shirt up to see a thin gash on the side of her torso. Looking across she saw Kili's distraught face,

"You're hurt," within seconds he was by her side. Arianna didn't know dwarves could move so fast. Kili took one look at it,

"Oin!"

Arianna shook her head and gently moved the protective dwarf to one side,

"It's fine. I can manage,"

She reached into one of her saddle bags and pulled out a roll of bandage. Wrapping it round her body she expertly tied it before giving Kili a smile,

"I'm good at tending wounds. The irony of it all,"

As she got back onto her horse she could tell Kili was still looking at her. However she turned her attention to Thorin,

"We're in a hurry, yes?"

Thorin glared at her before turning his horse around, "Move on everybody," he looked back,

"Kili!"

Arianna turned to see the dwarf was still standing by his pony. As he mounted she turned back round; her head reeling. She thought she was safe. For the past year no one had bothered her. No one had even tried to rob her. Arianna cursed herself. She'd become complacent. She'd allowed herself to relax and had allowed herself to become blind to the danger she was still in. The danger she would always be in. How many attempts had she survived without even realising it? Her stomach churned at the thought. The laughter of the dwarves brought her from her thoughts and she looked up to see Gloin's face was one of outrage,

"I do not snore!"

"You do snore," Fili said calmly, "Repeatedly,"

Gloin huffed, "Do I snore Oin?"

"You're a window rattler brother,"

Arianna smiled as Gloin got more and more annoyed,

"Aye well that's just your opinion. Do I snore Kili?"

Kili grinned sweetly, "Well with a big nose like that it would be unnatural if you didn't,"

"Now now," Arianna gave Gloin her most beautiful smile, "Don't mock Gloin,"

The dwarves stared at her,

"Oh it's only a joke," Fili protested. Arianna shook her head seriously,

"Yes but it's his nose," Gloin looked up at her gratefully and she smiled,

"He can't help having a hideous great hooter," the dwarves burst into grins as she carried on, "with his poor head trembling under the weight,"

The dwarves howled with laughter whilst Gloin glared at Arianna,

"You won't be getting any stew tonight lass,"

Arianna pretended to look upset. Fili glanced at her,

"Don't worry Arianna. Gloin's a bit sensitive about his nose,"

This was the final straw,

"I am NOT sensitive," Gloin yelled as Arianna and the rest of the dwarves almost collapsed with laughter. Arianna looked up to see Gandalf shaking his head good naturedly at them. As the laughter slowly died away Arianna looked around her. She had known these dwarves for a grand total of a week. They knew next to nothing about her and yet most of them were treating her like they'd known her all her life. Well, all of them with the exceptions of Thorin and Dwalin. Arianna was starting to feel a bit guilty about throwing those knives at the dwarf in Bag – End. But he'd been so dismissive of her. As though he only saw women as cooks, cleaners and baby makers. Arianna had spent her life fighting that view people had of her. She wasn't about to let a dwarf spoil it for her. As she looked up she saw Bofur give her a friendly smile and she felt a lump in her throat at the kindness she'd been shown over the past few days. Her smile faded as Jared's words floated into her mind,

"_You think you will ever be accepted by others? Do you think those people out there will want to know a killer? A monster? You'll never belong anywhere except here."_

Arianna bit her lip. He'd whispered those words to her after she'd tried her first attempt at running away. The punishment she'd received still gave her nightmares.

* * *

The rain had died away by the time they arrived to make camp. Arianna wrinkled her nose as she took in their surroundings. The sun was starting to set; making the burnt out farmhouse look even more haunting. Thorin began barking instructions,

"Fili, Kili, look after the ponies. Oin, Gloin, get the fire going."

He glanced at Arianna before turning his back to say something to Dwalin. Shaking her head she jumped off her horse and followed Gandalf who was busy looking round,

"A farmer and his family used to live here," he muttered. Arianna followed his gaze. A sense of dread crept up on her arms,

"It smells of death," she muttered. As she looked at the ruined house images flashed through her mind. Fires licking the walls of the farmhouses. Dying screams piercing the air along with feral howls. She wrapped her arm around herself and shook her head to dispel the thoughts.

Gandalf nodded, "I think it would be wiser to move on," he turned to face Thorin, "We could make for the hidden valley,"

Arianna looked at the rage on Thorin's face, "I've already told you. I will not go near that place,"

"Why not?" Gandalf sounded like he was talking to a child, "The elves could help us. We could get food, rest, advice,"

All of this sounded great to Arianna. However Thorin shook his head,

"I do not need their advice," Arianna rolled her eyes and he glared at her,

"What?" he snapped. She glared at him,

"I didn't realise dwarves could be so stubborn,"

Thorin moved towards her and Gandalf stepped between them,

"We have a map that we cannot read. Lord Elrond could help us,"

"Help?" Arianna caught the venom in Thorin's voice, "A dragon attacks Erebor. What help came from the elves? Orcs plunder Moria, desecrate our sacred halls. The elves looked on and did nothing!" he lowered his voice, "You ask me to seek out the very people who betrayed my grandfather, who betrayed my father,"

"You are neither of them," Arianna sensed Gandalf was close to snapping point, "I did not give you that map and key so you could hold on to the past,"

"I did not realise they were yours to keep," Thorin countered icily. Gandalf sighed before marching past Thorin and the rest of the company.

"Everything alright? Gandalf? Where are you going?" Bilbo's cries almost went unanswered when the wizard said,

"To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense,"

"And who's that?"

"Myself Master Baggins!" Gandalf yelled before marching off down the path. Arianna made her way towards Bilbo who was looking at Balin,

"Is he coming back?" the dwarf shrugged his shoulders and Bilbo looked back down the path. Arianna gently patted her own pony and leant against it,

"Are you okay?"

Arianna almost jumped out of her skin as Kili stepped up behind her. She smiled at him,

"I'm fine,"

He nodded but she could still tell his gaze was on her injured torso,

"We should check your wound," he muttered. Arianna was about to tell him she was fine but decided against it. It would make life a lot easier just to go along with it. She slowly lifted her shirt up, trying to ignore the fact that her ribcage and hips stuck out appallingly. Kili gently removed the bandage. The bleeding had stopped and it didn't seem to be infected. His eyes however were drawn to the other scars that lined her skin. Arianna pushed her shirt down,

"See. I'm fine,"

Kili shrugged, "I'm just looking out for you,"

"Is that why you keep giving me some of your dinner each night?"

Kili blushed, "Well…you look so…"

"Thin?"

He nodded and she smiled at him, "You don't have to worry about me Kili. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself,"

Kili opened his mouth to say something when he was interrupted by his uncle.

"Kili! Ponies!"

Kili and Arianna jumped as Thorin's yell rang over the campsite. Kili stepped back, his face on fire. Arianna looked up to see Thorin glaring at her and his nephew. Kili stammered an apology before taking the last two ponies away. Arianna watched him go before running a hand through her hair and sniffing her tunic. She couldn't remember ever being so dirty. She began to move away from the campsite when her path was blocked by Dwalin. He glared at her and Arianna forced herself to not throw a knife at him again,

"Just where do ye think ye're going?"

"For a bath," she snapped. Dwalin raised an eyebrow and she glowered at him,

"You might want to smell like pigs. But I don't really fancy it,"

She made to move when Dwalin stopped her. Arianna's temper flared,

"If you don't trust me you're very welcome to come and watch," she gave him a sweet smile. Savouring the astonished look on the dwarfs face she pushed past him and headed after the two dwarf princes.

_**Hope everyone is still enjoying the story. If anyone reading this has ever seen the Beatles film "A Hard Days night" (great film by the way) then you might recognize a section of dialogue that I took from the film. **_


	8. Inner Demons

_**Oh my god! Over 1,000 views! Thanks to Celebrisilweth, xxxMadameMysteryxxx and tartanarmygirl for following me. I know I always say it but I can't thank you guys enough for all the follows and reviews; you have no idea how much it means to me.**_

Inner Demons

Arianna pushed her wet hair from her face as she hurriedly tugged her clothes on. Whilst the company knew she was down here she didn't want to run the risk of being spied on. As she pulled her shirt sleeves down her gaze landed on several small knife marks on her arms. She bit her lip as she covered the wounds. How could she claim to be a true member of this company when she was keeping so many things secret? Arianna knew it would only be a matter of time before one of them found out something. And when one dwarf found out something, it wouldn't take long for the rest to find out as well. Arianna sighed dramatically. Why the hell had Gandalf dragged her on this quest? True she may have found a contract for the death of Thorin Oakenshield and true it had been written in Black Speech. But why was _she_ here? Thirteen dwarves and a wizard seemed plenty enough to get to Erebor. But no, Gandalf had insisted she come along because he believed it would be incredibly beneficial for her. Arianna snorted out loud. No doubt the wizard had brought her along for some extra amusement. As if the hobbit was funny enough for him. Fingering the knife in her belt she smiled to herself; wondering if any of the dwarves would actually risk angering her after knowing what she was capable of. The water from the river clung to her skin as she gathered her things and began to make her way back to the camp. She'd left her cloak behind and she wrapped her arms around her as the combination of cold water and cool air began to hit her skin. The sun had set almost an hour ago and if the moon was out then Arianna couldn't see it through the high tree tops that covered her view of the sky. Her feet trailed through the leaves and branches and she became acutely aware of the amount of noise she was actually making. She could hear the snorts of the ponies further up ahead. She was at least on the right track back to the campsite. Her stomach grumbled again and she took a deep breath; she'd be able to have dinner in a few minutes. Warm stew, a warm fire and the comfort of her thick cloak. She gently ran a finger along the gash in her side. Satisfied it wasn't going to cause a problem Arianna trudged towards the small pen that held the ponies. Her stomach kept on making noises and she wondered if Fili and Kili had been given their dinner yet. Arianna wasn't in the habit of begging, but the fact that Kili had been giving her extra food every night meant that if she asked nicely enough she would no doubt get some. As she carried on walking Arianna became aware of two things. She had only one set of feet. Yet her ears were picking up the sound of two more sets behind her. Slipping a knife from her wrist sheath she spun round, arm raised. The thuggish brute standing before her grabbed her knife arm before reaching for her other arm. Arianna twisted out of his grip and slashed at the man's arm. His furious curse told her she had hit her mark. The man glared at her, clutching his arm. Arianna took a step back – aiming to launch herself at her attacker – when a thick hand clamped down over her mouth whilst another arm wrapped itself around her waist. The man she had injured ran forward, grabbed her knife arm and whacked it hard against a tree until the weapon clattered to the ground. Giving themselves satisfied smiles the men looked at their prisoner who was struggling in their grasp like a deranged mule. The first man smiled sickly at Arianna, showing several missing teeth. He stroked her face before grasping her head roughly and turning it towards him,

"My my! You are a feisty little thing aren't you?" he looked over at his associate, "Very pretty as well. I imagine she'll be a nice little earner,"

The man holding Arianna nodded in agreement and her eyes widened as she saw the first man pull out a length of thick rope. As he reached for her hands she wriggled her head free slightly and bit down hard on the hand over her mouth. Her captor cried out in pain and Arianna delivered a well-aimed kick into the other man's stomach before breaking free from the man's hold. As she stood there, brushing hair from her face her eyes caught sight of a large wagon a few metres away – almost hidden in the trees,

"Slave traders," she muttered with disgust. As both men advanced on her she dropped into a fighting stance. The man with almost no teeth lunged at her but she dodged left before bringing her elbows down on his back. She launched herself at the other man, intending to get him in a headlock. However he feinted left before grabbing the back of her shirt and pulling her into his arms. Arianna kicked out as the toothless man began tying the thick rope around her wrists. She glared at him,

"_Nadorhuanrim"_ she spat. The men leered at her,

"Where did a pretty thing like you learn to speak the language of the elves?" the man holding her hissed in her ear. Arianna opened her mouth when a hand clamped down over it. Arianna's struggles stopped as she heard two very familiar voices coming closer. The man holding her dragged her back into the cover of the trees and Arianna's heart stopped as she saw both Fili and Kili enter the clearing – standing where she had been only moments ago. She watched as Fili looked around shaking his head,

"There's nothing here,"

"I told you I heard something," Kili insisted. Fili sighed,

"You're imagining things…" Fili was cut off as Kili picked something up from the ground and showed it to his brother. Arianna saw the dwarf holding her knife in his hands and for a second she was momentarily surprised by the worry on Kili's face,

"This is Arianna's," Kili tucked it into his belt. Fili shrugged,

"Maybe she dropped it?"

Kili shook his head, "No…no something's wrong here. I can feel it,"

The man holding Arianna shook her, "What are you doing in the company of two dwarves?"

He dropped his hand from her mouth to allow her to answer. Instead she fixed him with and icy glare and he pushed her away from him and onto the ground. Landing on her bound hands Arianna gave a small cry as the knots dug into her stomach. She bit her lip as the toothless man grasped a handful of her hair and forced her head up.

"My brother asked you a question. You are going to give him an answer,"

Arianna didn't have time to retort as yet another man burst through the trees. He held his hands on his knees and took long drawn out breaths,

"You'll never guess what I've just seen," he panted, pointing behind him, "There's a whole group of dwarves camped out by the ruined farmhouse. And Thorin Oakenshield is with them!"

All three looked down at Arianna. The toothless man pulled harder on her hair,

"Are you travelling with the King under the mountain?" the mockery in his voice was enough to make the assassin's blood boil. She smiled sweetly,

"And if I am?"

The men jeered at her, "Well I can imagine why they'd want you around. Nice, pretty thing like you would no doubt keep those two princes happy,"

Arianna kicked out at the man's legs and he cursed in pain. She fixed him with her most dangerous glare,

"I think I should point out that the last people to assume I was nothing more than a whore ended up losing the use of their…more sensitive parts of their body,"

Whilst the other two men now eyed her nervously the man holding her by the hair shook his head,

"Very well then. Why _are_ you travelling with a group of dwarves?"

"Go and screw yourself," she hissed.

As the man's boot connected with her cheek Arianna could feel the blood running down her face. Her blood froze as she could feel her power growing inside her. She could hear the men laughing as she twisted and contorted on the ground. Her skin began to burn and her eye's sharpened. The laughter slowly died away as she turned to face them; a mad look in her eyes. Everything around her seemed to vanish into blackness. All she could see were the three men who were now staring at her in horror. Muttering to herself under her breath Arianna threw out her bound hands. Their dying screams rang in her ears as sweat began to pour down her face. As the blackness began to fade she could see the remains of the slave traders lying just a few feet away from her. The smell of blood pricked at her nostrils and before she could do anything she doubled over and threw up beside the corpses. Tears ran down her face as she held her bound hands to her chest,

"What have I done?"

* * *

Fili and Kili had stared at each other in alarm as they felt the after effects of the shockwave. Fili ran to the ponies to try and calm them down whilst Kili's gaze travelled towards the forest. As the shockwave had hit them he'd heard the unmistakable sound of someone screaming. His eyes widened and his fingers lingered over Arianna's knife. As his brother finished comforting the ponies Kili found himself heading back into the forest. His brother put an arm out to stop him but Kili ignored it,

"What are you doing _nadad_?"

"That scream…it was Arianna. I know it was," he glared at his brother, who slowly released his grip on Kili's arm and looked over at the ponies,

"They'll be okay for a bit," he muttered before drawing his sword and following Kili through the trees,

"Arianna? Arianna where are you?" Kili looked frantically around him. Fili placed a calming hand on his shoulder and gestured towards a small clearing.

When the dwarves found her, Arianna had curled up into a ball and was rocking back and forth with tears running down her face. The two looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Kili stepped forward and as his foot snapped a branch Arianna spun round, her eyes wild with terror. Kili knelt down beside her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Meanwhile Fili's gaze had been drawn to the scattered remains on the forest floor. His stomach churned and for a second he thought he was going to be sick. Averting his gaze he looked down at Arianna as Kili took the girls face in his hands,

"What happened? Are you okay? Who were they? What did they do to you?"

So many questions. Arianna's head was still spinning. She didn't notice Kili cut the ropes binding her hands or when both brothers helped her to her feet. She just looked down at the bodies in front of her. Kili looked at the swelling bruise on her cheek. He could feel his anger bubbling up inside him but he pushed it down as Arianna leant against a tree,

"They were…they were slave traders. I…" as she buried her face in her hands both princes looked at each other. They had never seen Arianna like this before. Ignoring his brother Kili shrugged off his coat and draped it over her shoulders,

"Take your time," he said gently, "What happened?"

"I don't know what happened," Arianna had no idea what to say. If she told the dwarves she had done this… Previous memories surfaced in her mind and she pushed them down as she could feel fresh tears coming. She watched as Fili took another – very quick – look at the bodies,

"Whatever attacked them…why did it leave you?"

Arianna shut her eyes in relief. If they thought it had been a wild animal then she could easily bluff her way out. She opened her eyes,

"I don't know. I don't think it saw me at first. Then, when you two came…it just…left,"

She watched as the brothers shared a look. Her heart raced as she saw the slight scepticism on Fili's face. However he simply gave her a soft smile,

"Well whatever did this…it must have been a monster,"

"Yes," Arianna whispered shakily, "Yes it was."

**Translations**

**Nadorhuanrim** – Cowardly Dogs

**Nadad** – Brother

_**Okay so firstly I would like to apologise for this chapter because I'm not fully happy with it despite all of the rewrites. However I would still love to hear your thoughts on it. Secondly…ooooh yet another piece is added to the Arianna puzzle. **_


	9. Missing Ponies

_**Thanks to BlackHreat, NekogamiMiyu, filimeala and lovingmom2013 for following me despite the previous chapter.**_

_**Drwatsonn – I appreciate quick updates for the same reason which is why I always try to update everyday (if possible) and I'm glad that you found the previous chapter unexpected.**_

_**Celebrisilweth – Glad you found it interesting and I look forward to revealing more pieces of the puzzle. **_

Missing Ponies

The three of them remained sitting by the tree when Fili looked over at Arianna. Her hands had stopped shaking and she was now twirling her knife in her fingers absentmindedly. He shook his head; it was as though nothing had happened to her at all. As she pushed her still wet hair away he looked at her damp skin,

"Why are you soaking wet?"

To his surprise she blushed, "I went for a bath earlier."

Both Fili and Kili suddenly had huge smiles on their faces and she aimed the knife at them,

"Are you two thinking what I think you're thinking?"

Kili shrugged, "That all depends on what you think we're thinking,"

Arianna raised an eyebrow, "Well if you _are_ thinking what I think you're thinking then stop thinking it. Trust me, you'll regret it if you don't,"

Without any word of warning she threw her knife at the two princes. As it landed in between Kili's legs he gave a rather girlish squeal – much to Fili and Arianna's amusement,

"You could have hurt me!"

Arianna scoffed, "Please Kili. I could have unbuttoned your coat if I wanted to,"

Kili blushed and his brother nudged him with a knowing grin. Kili frowned before turning back to Arianna, who was staring into empty space,

"I've just realised something." She looked over at the two dwarves, "Aren't you supposed to be looking after the ponies?"

The princes looked at each other in alarm. They had completely forgotten about that! Fili and Kili made their way forward when Arianna grabbed them by the shoulders and pulled them back,

"What do you think you're doing?" Fili hissed, shaking himself free. She put a finger to his lips,

"Something's out there. Something…big,"

Kili and Fili nodded and brought out their swords. Arianna unsheathed her's and made her way forward. Kili made to pull her back,

"What are you doing?"

"Going to see what it is?" she looked at him, "Kili, you two are dwarf princes and I'm just an assassin. As far as things go your lives are worth slightly more than mine,"

Without allowing Kili to respond she made her way towards the area that had been set aside for the ponies. Kili watched her go and gave a low growl. His brother snorted with laughter,

"What?" Kili glowered. Fili shook his head,

"Nothing. I just didn't know you had a thing for redheads,"

Kili shoved him; "I don't 'have a thing' for redheads."

Fili smirked, "Keep telling yourself that _nadadith_,"

Arianna knelt down on one knee and looked at the ground near the ponies. Almost all of it had been trodden on recently. Very recently. Looking around she saw several uprooted trees. Turning round she saw both Fili and Kili had joined here and were now looking over at the ponies. Arianna looked back down at the ground,

"Shut up," she hissed. Fili looked over in confusion,

"I didn't say anything,"

"You were thinking. It's annoying," Getting to her feet Arianna did a quick head count of the ponies. Her heart sank,

"Great," she muttered. Her ears pricked up as she heard the clumsy feet of Bilbo behind her,

"What's the matter?" he held two three bowls of soup in his hands and Arianna took one gratefully. Her stomach was desperate for food and as she drank the soup straight from the bowl she noticed Kili watching her,

"We're supposed to be looking after the ponies," he said, to no one in particular,

"Only we've encountered a… slight problem," Fili added, "We had sixteen,"

"We now have just fourteen," Kili finished. Bilbo looked over at Arianna with that familiar look of worry on his face. Kili moved forward, his face looking at each of the ponies,

"Daisy and Bungo are missing,"

"Well that's not good," Bilbo said. He looked at Fili, "Shouldn't we tell Thorin?"

"Err….best not worry him," Fili shared a look with his brother and Arianna folded her arms. Fili and Kili didn't want to tell Thorin because they didn't want him telling them off. Fili smiled at Bilbo,

"As our official burglar we thought you'd might like to take a look,"

Bilbo frowned at the dwarf before stepping forward and looking around him,

"Well…something big uprooted these trees,"

"That's what we thought," Kili nodded grimly. Arianna watched Bilbo's face fall,

"Something big…and possibly quite dangerous," Bilbo swallowed as the dwarfs nodded to each other. Arianna looked up and her eyes caught a shine of light,

"Hey," the others looked at her, "There's a light," she crept forward slowly, aware of the others following her. Looking over Bilbo she saw he still held two soup bowls in his hands. The four of them crouched behind an uprooted tree trunk and Arianna could see the glow of a large fire through the trees,

"What is it?" Bilbo hissed beside her,

"Trolls," Kili growled as he and his brother leapt over the tree and ran forward. Arianna followed and dragged Bilbo along with her as she sat down beside the princes behind another uprooted tree. Kili looked above Arianna head,

"Get down," he hissed; placing a hand on her head and pushing it down as the ground around them shook. Arianna didn't need to see the troll to know it was there. She could smell it well enough and she could hear the cries of two more ponies,

"He's got Myrtle and Minty," Bilbo said, clearly outraged, "I think they're going to eat them. We've got to do something."

The two dwarves looked at him, "Yes you should," Kili whispered. Bilbo frowned before shaking his head as Kili took the bowls from his hands,

"Mountain trolls are slow and stupid and you're so small they'll never see you. It'll be perfectly safe. We'll be right behind you,"

About several miles behind you Arianna thought. Bilbo was still shaking his head and was even wagging his finger at the dwarves. However they took him by the arms and led him forward,

"If you run into trouble hoot twice like a barn owl and once like a brown owl," Fili reassured him. He and Kili gently pushed Bilbo forward before running back behind the tree. Arianna watched the hobbit make his way forward, muttering to himself.

As the figure of Bilbo vanished from view Arianna turned to find both dwarves sitting against the tree with the bowls of soup in their hands. Hands on hips she kicked Fili's legs,

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Having our dinner," Fili took another mouthful of soup and nodded at his brother, "this is good soup,"

Arianna rolled her eyes "Whatever happened to staying right behind Bilbo?"

Kili pointed his spoon at her, "He hasn't signalled for help yet. Besides he's probably only just got there. We're just giving him some time."

"Oh yes," Arianna scoffed, "time to get flattened by a mountain troll."

Both the brothers looked warily at each other and Arianna glared as they settled back down to eat. She smiled to herself before standing in front of the dwarves,

"You're cowards. Both of you,"

Fili spat out his mouthful of soup and glared at her,

"We are not cowards!"

"Well stop acting like cowards then," Arianna shook her head, "Why is it men are always like this? All talk and no substance,"

As the dwarves looked at each other Arianna crossed her fingers behind her back. Fili looked over at her. His eyes narrowed as he and Kili got to their feet. Kili pulled out his sword,

"Very well…we'll go after Bilbo and get killed by trolls," he grinned at her and she shook her head,

"Fili, go and get Thorin," he raised his eyebrows at her but she shook her head, "Don't argue just do it,"

As Fili ran off back towards the campsite Arianna turned to talk to Kili. However instead of the dark haired dwarf she saw only an empty space. Looking up she saw him creeping towards the troll's fire. Gritting her teeth Arianna followed him. He looked over at her in surprise,

"What do you think you're doing? Go back!" he hissed. Arianna shook her head,

"One dwarf against a giant mountain trolls? Not what I'd called favourable odds,"

Kili shook his head, "Go back. It'll be safer,"

Arianna grabbed him by the shoulders and swung him round, "Is this because I'm a woman?"

"No!" Kili shook his head before pausing, "Well…yes,"

Arianna ignored his startled cry as she struck him round the face. She pushed him against a tree and locked her eyes onto his. Kili's hand reached up and gently rubbed his face. Arianna shook him, "Now listen and listen good. I'm not one of your weak and feeble maids that stay at home cooking and having children. I'm an assassin! And not just any assassin but one from the Kira Katil. You had no problem with letting Bilbo go and I am far more qualified at dealing with trolls than he is. I'm not going to have some mollycoddled dwarvish prince tell me it's too dangerous. Got it!"

Kili nodded slowly and she let go of him, suddenly filled with guilt over her outburst,

"I'm sorry about that," she managed to say. Kili rubbed his cheek as he looked at her,

"God that hurt," he winced before managing a smile,

"Don't we have a hobbit to go and help?"

Arianna gave him a weak smile as he pushed past her and headed towards the border of the clearing. Peering through the trees Arianna could see three huge, hideous looking trolls standing round a campfire. Her eyes widened as one troll reached for a small figure standing in front of it,

"Bilbo!" Arianna pulled out her sword but Kili placed a hand on her arm before pointing to the group of trolls. Bilbo dodged the trolls hand but now the other two were reaching for him. Arianna's heart sank as one troll scooped Bilbo up and held him by his legs,

"Gotcha!" the troll grinned in triumph, "Now are there any more of you little fella's hiding where you shouldn't?"

"No," Bilbo shook his head, twisting in the trolls grip. Arianna inched forward ever so slightly, ignoring Kili's frown. One of the trolls who wore a thin vest leaned forward,

"He's lying,"

"No, no I'm not," Bilbo squeaked. The vest wearing troll sniffed him,

"Hold his toes over the fire. Make him talk!"

As Bilbo began to cry out both Arianna and Kili looked at each other. With a nod they burst from the clearing. Kili slashed one of the troll's ankles whilst Arianna swiped the same troll's foot. The pair stood side by side and glared up at the trolls,

"Drop him!" Kili yelled, wielding his sword. The trolls frowned,

"You what?" the largest troll squinted at the dwarf. Kili frowned,

"I said. Drop him!"

Arianna dived to the side as the troll holding Bilbo tossed him in the air. As Kili caught him the pair both went down. Arianna threw one of her throwing knives into the troll's fat finger as she heard the battle cries of the others dwarves behind her. She dove to the ground as Oin and Gloin jumped over her head – landing on one of the troll's feet and fiercely attacking it with swords. The troll jumped in and yelled in pain; knocking the dwarves to the ground. Arianna sheathed her sword and drew out her bow. After hitting the largest troll in the stomach she ran between his legs and fired another arrow into the back of his knee. Roaring in pain the troll reached down to grab her when something small hit him in the air. Arianna looked over at the triumphant face of Ori, who was loading another stone into his catapult,

"Nice shot," she yelled, grinning as the dwarf blushed with pride before screaming as he was grabbed by a troll. Arianna turned in time to see Thorin jump onto Dwalin's back and launch himself in the air. His sword sliced the trolls hand and it dropped Ori to the ground. Looking around her Arianna was amazed at the skill of these dwarves. Each and every one of them was fiercely attacking the trolls. Even Bofur and Balin who had always seemed like pacifists were giving it their all. Despite the trolls size the dwarves had numbers on their side. If anyone of them got grabbed then another dwarf was there to free them. Arianna went to load another arrow when a small shape barged into her; knocking her to the ground. Shaking herself free she glared at Bilbo,

"What the hell?"

"Sorry," he squeaked, "I need a knife to cut the ponies free,"

Arianna looked over to see the four missing animals tied in a corner by the campfire. Her hand moved towards one of her own knives when she spotted something better on the ground,

"Try this for size,"

Bilbo's eyes widened with glee as he held the large troll knife in his hands. As the smallest of the trolls barged it's way forward Arianna shoved Bilbo towards the ponies before slashing the trolls hand with a knife. She laughed as she heard the cries of the trolls all around her. She couldn't help but enjoy this little fight. It felt good to be fighting fairly instead of killing in cold blood. Even if it was fourteen against three. Arianna's ear pricked up as she heard a yell come from above her. Looking up she saw one of the dwarves struggling in the grip of smallest troll. For one horrible second Arianna thought it was Kili. However as she looked across she saw the young dwarf looking up at the troll in terror,

"Fili!"

Arianna looked up at Fili. The troll was holding him by one of his arms and was shaking him fiercely. As Fili gave an agonising yell Arianna strapped her bow onto her back and drew out her two sharpest daggers. She looked over at Kili who was trying to get as close to the troll as possible as his brother cried out in pain. Kili slashed desperately at the trolls' legs but all he succeeded in doing was increasing the trolls grip on his brother. Arianna looked over at Kili. The fear and sadness in his eyes was unbearable. She didn't even stop to think about what she was doing.

"Gloin!"

The dwarf turned to her in shock and she grinned at him,

"Toss me,"

She began running towards the astounded dwarf. Gloin only had a few seconds to lock his hands together and as Arianna's foot landed in his hands he threw her up towards the troll. She had hoped she would land directly onto the troll. But instead Gloin's aim hadn't been brilliant and she reached out and grabbed Fili's belt. Pulling herself up she ignored the yell from the prince as she used his long hair to swing herself up onto the trolls arm. It stared at her for a second as if it couldn't quite work out what she was. Not wasting anytime Arianna plunged her two knives into the troll's wrist. It screamed in pain and Fili dropped to the ground; landing on a very startled Bombur. Giving a satisfied smile Arianna realised that she hadn't thought this far forward yet. Holding her arms out for balance she wobbled precariously as the troll waved its arm around to try and shake her off,

"Bert! There's something crawling up me arm!"

Arianna's eyes widened as the troll wearing a cooking apron strode forward. It narrowed its eyes before jabbing her in the stomach. It was only a little jab as far as the trolls were concerned, but Arianna waved her arms around as her foot slipped. The troll peered at her before flicking her in the stomach. The force knocked her from the trolls arm and into the air. She brushed past a tree and landed with a cry on the border of the trolls' campsite. Her whole body jarred with the impact and as blackness began to grow around her the last thing she remembered hearing was Kili screaming her name.

"Arianna!"

* * *

Kili watched in horror as the assassin was flung into the mix of trees. He made to move forward when Thorin grabbed his arm and pulled him back into the huddle of dwarves. Kili shook his uncle off him before following Thorin's gaze in terror,

"Bilbo!"

The hobbit's arms and legs were being held in the grip of two trolls. The largest glared at the dwarves,

"Lay down your arms…or we'll rip his off!"

The dwarves looked at the sweating hobbit. He gave the tiniest of head shakes and they all turned to Thorin who threw his sword down. As the others followed Kili gripped his own weapon and glared murderously at the trolls. He looked over at the clump of trees where Arianna had landed. If those trolls had killed her… The trolls holding Bilbo growled and pulled on his limbs. It was the smallest of movements but it was enough for the hobbit to let out a terrified yelp. Sighing in frustration Kili threw his sword to the ground. The second the sword clattered on the dirt the trolls chucked Bilbo into the throng of dwarves before reaching forward with their large, meaty hands.

**Translations**

**Nadadith – Little brother**

_**Well that was a more exciting update (I hope anyway) also if anyone noticed the Sherlock quote then well done! The fight with the trolls is one of my favourite scenes from 'An Unexpected Journey' so I hope I've done it justice.**_


	10. The Secret to Cooking Dwarves

_**Huge thanks to Herd-o-sheep for following me. Once again thanks for all the reviews and the follows I've received. Over 1,500 views already!**_

_**Drwatsonn – That Sherlock quote is my favourite as well! Glad you enjoyed the chapter and that you found it well written. I can't believe I didn't notice that mistake when I wrote the chapter so I appreciate you pointing it out for me.**_

_**Celebrisilweth – Glad you liked the additions to the scene.**_

The secret to cooking Dwarves.

As Arianna came to the terrified cries of the dwarves hit her like a brick. Crawling onto her hands and knees she winced as a stab of pain rushed through her head. Reaching up to touch her forehead she saw her fingers come away stained with her blood. Looking up Arianna saw that the light from the troll's fire was brighter than it had been before and as the cries grew louder she had a horrible feeling that the dwarves hadn't fared very well against their enemy. Crawling through the undergrowth Arianna threw herself onto her stomach as she reached the edge of the clearing and silently pushed a large branch aside to get a better view. Her heart leapt into her mouth. Dwalin, Bofur, Nori, Dori and Ori had been tied to a spit and were slowly being roasted over a fire. Scanning the clearing she saw that the rest had all been tied up in sacks. Her heart raced as she realised that they were no doubt going to be the second course or maybe even dessert. A loud voice near her ear made her froze and she slowly lifted her head as the largest troll who was turning the spit frowned at the troll in the apron, who was clearly the cook,

"Let's just sit on them and squash them and turn them into jelly,"

Arianna looked at the horror on her friends faces. Crawling forward on her stomach she tried to get as close to the bound dwarves as possible. The cook merely sniffed at his friend's suggestion,

"They should be sautéed, and grilled with a sprinkle of sage,"

If he wasn't talking about the dwarves Arianna was honest enough to admit that she was interested to know how the troll even had such an interest in cooking. However she shook her head and frantically crawled towards the dwarves in the sacks. She was only a few metres away and she could see most of the dwarves staring at her in wonder. Trying to ignore the smile Kili had on his face she froze as the troll turning the spit looked over in her direction,

"Never mind the seasoning," he growled as he turned back to the dwarves on the spit, "We ain't got all night. Dawn ain't far away and I don't fancy being turned to stone," the smallest troll nodded in agreement,

"I want to get a chance to have some dessert,"

Not if I can help it," Arianna muttered as she reached the trussed up dwarves. Putting a finger to her lips she slid a knife from her boot and – using the fat bulk of Bombur as cover she knelt besides Balin and began to saw through the ropes around the sack. She was almost through when a small voice made her hands freeze. Looking up she saw Bilbo had somehow got to his feet and was hopping over to the trolls,

"Wait!" he looked up at the trolls who simply glared at him, "You are making a terrible mistake!"

"You can't reason with them, they're half-wits!" Dori yelled. Bofur shook his head,

"Half-wits! What does that make us?"

"I mean with the…seasoning," Bilbo took another hop in his sack as the chef looked down at him,

"What about the seasoning?" he asked angrily as though his cooking had never been challenged. Bilbo shrugged and turned round to look at the dwarves. As he did so he winked at Arianna who smiled. Bilbo was trying to distract the trolls so she could free the dwarves. Cutting Balin free she signalled for him not to move. He nodded and she moved towards Gloin as Bilbo carried on his act,

"Have you smelt them? You're going to need a lot more than sage before you plate this lot up!"

Arianna stuffed a hand into her mouth to avoid laughing. Gloin fixed her with an indignant expression and she shook her head with a smile on her face before slicing through his bonds.

"What do you know about cooking dwarves?" the spit turning troll looked at Bilbo suspiciously. The hobbit swallowed nervously,

"Shut up!" the cook snapped before leaning towards Bilbo and giving him a gentle smile,

"Let the…flurgeburberer hobbit talk,"

"Yes the secret to cooking dwarves," Bilbo muttered to himself, panic set on his face. The trolls lean in closer,

"Yes? C'mon!" the chef growls. Bilbo nodded,

"Yes I'm telling you…the secret to cooking dwarves…is to skin them first!"

At this the dwarves around Arianna began yelling furiously at Bilbo.

"I'll skin you, you little…" Gloin spat. Biting her lip Arianna watched the hobbit. Whatever game he was playing he'd better get on with it. The chef clicked his fingers,

"Tom, get me filleting knife,"

"What a load of rubbish!" the troll at the spit yelled, "I've eaten plenty with their skins on,"

"He's right!" the small troll – Tom - reached over and picked up the sack containing Bombur. Arianna froze as she realised she was now on show for the trolls to see. However they were all looking at the terrified dwarf, who was now being held upside down over the troll's mouth,

"Nothing wrong with a bit of raw dwarf," Bombur struggled but the troll lowered him even further, "Nice and crunchy,"

"Not that one," Bilbo yelled. The trolls paused to stare at him and Bilbo shook his head,

"He's infected!"

"You what?" the largest troll frowned and Bilbo nodded so much his head looked like it was going to come off,

"He's got…worms…in his…tubes," Bilbo frowned; not quite believing what he had just said. Tom looked at Bombur in disgust and threw him back onto the pile. The dwarves yelled as Bombur landed on them. Arianna slowly breathed out as Bilbo hurriedly carried on,

"In fact they all have. Their infected with parasites! I wouldn't risk it really,"

For a second Arianna thought his plan had worked. Then, to her horror the dwarves began shaking their heads and yelling,

"Parasites? Did he say parasites?" Oin glowered. Arianna felt like punching Kili as he shook his head,

"We haven't got parasites. You've got parasites!"

Arianna groaned. Were these dwarves really that stupid? Hitting Oin in the arm she gave him frantic eye signals and he nodded slowly. Looking up saw that Kili was also nodding along with everyone else,

"I've got parasites as big as my arm!" Oin cried,

"Mine are the biggest. I've got huge parasites!" Kili cried out. Arianna shook her head,

"Don't overdo it guys," she hissed,

"Yes were riddled!" Fili yelled. As the rest of the dwarves began nodding and shouting Arianna breathed a sigh of relief and looked over at Bilbo with admiration. The chef frowned at Bilbo,

"What would you have us do then? Let them all go?"

"Well…" Bilbo shrugged. The troll at the spit narrowed his eyes as he looked over at the pile of dwarves. Letting go of the spit he turned to Bilbo, and to Arianna's horror she realised he saw staring straight at her,

"You think I don't know what you're up to?"

Arianna had no time to react as the troll's hand clamped round her waist and hauled her into the air. Behind her she heard the dwarves cries and as she troll sniffed her she could feel the nausea grow in her stomach,

"Here William! It that thing what crawled up me arm!" Tom cried. William tightened his grip and Arianna could feel two of her ribs start to crack. William shook her,

"I don't like girls. There's no meat on them. And not enough fat to add flavour,"

Arianna was almost certain she was going to throw up as the trolls began arguing about how much meat there was on humans. Looking down she saw the faces of the dwarves on the spit. All of them were looking up at her in horror. As she looked past the trolls shoulder Arianna frowned as she saw a tall figure running through the bushes. One of the trolls sniffed her again and Arianna grimaced,

"Has anyone ever told said you have really bad breath?" she gave a sweet smile and William growled at her,

"Let's just cook her anyway," the chef said, "She'll make a great side dish,"

As he said this, William transferred his grip from Arianna's waist to her hair and held her over the fire. Arianna couldn't help it then. She screamed as the trolls fingers dug into her scalp. The dwarf's cries became louder and angrier as Arianna twisted in the trolls grip. William looked down at Bilbo,

"Is this one infected as well?" he asked sarcastically. Bilbo gave a helpless shrug and Arianna glowered at William,

No…but you can bet your life I'll give you a permanent stomach ache," tears sprung to her eyes as the troll tightened its grip on her hair and Arianna had a feeling that he had actually managed to pull some of it out. William looked at her and Bilbo,

"This little ferret's taking us for fools,"

"Ferret?" Bilbo glared at the troll before a booming voice could be heard behind them,

"The dawn will take you all!"

Arianna smiled as best as she could as she saw the familiar figure of Gandalf standing atop a large boulder. The trolls squinted in confusion,

"Who's that?"

"No idea?"

"Can we eat him to?" the smallest troll asked eagerly. With one swift movement Gandalf brought his staff down on the boulder; cracking it in half. The trolls screamed as the early morning sun streamed through into the campsite. William let go of Arianna and she plummeted to the ground and landed with a sickening crunch. Bilbo turned away from the bright light and when he dared to look he saw the trolls were frozen in position. Their skin transformed into stone. The dwarves were silent for a second before cheering and laughing madly. However, Kili's gaze was fixed on the limp figure of Arianna on the ground. With long strides, Gandalf ran down to the clearing and began to help the rest of the dwarves get free of their bonds. As soon as they were free the dwarves began pulling on their boots and tunics whilst congratulating Bilbo. However, the second he was able to stand Kili pushed past his uncle and fell to his knees beside Arianna.

"Arianna? Can you hear me?" he took her hand in his and as his calls went unanswered Kili gently stroked her hair. As he took his hand away he saw his fingers stained red with and panic set in as he saw a patch of blood trailing from her head,

"Oin!" he yelled. As he did so the rest of the company turned to see the lifeless figure of the assassin.

As Oin leant over the girl Kili was fully aware that he had tears in his eyes. He helped Oin to turn her onto her back and his heart stopped beating as he saw that half her face was covered in blood. His shaking hands placed a bottle of water to her lips and as she coughed and spluttered Kili pressed his forehead against hers,

"Thank god," he muttered, fully aware that Thorin's eyes were boring in his back. Ignoring his uncle Kili placed the water bottle against her lips again as Arianna's eyes flickered before focusing on him. Kili smiled at her before helping Oin to sit her up. She gasped in pain as she did so and Kili grabbed her hand tightly and she smiled,

"It's far worse than it looks," she whispered, clutching her ribs tightly. As Oin began to clean her face Kili never let go of Arianna's hand. He didn't really care if anyone saw. For a few horrible minutes he'd thought he'd lost her. Kili didn't ever want to feel like that again. As Oin cleaned the blood from her face Kili saw that Arianna was right. She just had a small cut on her temple. Oin packed up his healing kit and passed her a small tonic,

"This will help with the pain,"

Arianna took a small sip and spat it back out. Kili grinned, knowing full well how lovely Oin's medicine tasted. He pushed her hair from her forehead and watched as she downed the bottle in one before screwing her face up in an effort to swallow the liquid. Kili gripped her tightly as she slowly got to her feet. She clutched her ribs and grimaced,

"Bloody trolls," she muttered. As Kili lead her towards the group he saw Thorin and Gandalf move away to a quieter corner.

"Where did you go to if I may ask?" Thorin folded his arms expectantly. Gandalf sighed,

"I went to look ahead,"

"And what brought you back?"

The wizard smiled, "Looking behind. Nasty business that. Still, we're all in one piece. Mostly," he added as he looked over at Arianna. Thorin followed his gaze, not failing to notice how both of his nephews were keeping very close to the girl. He gave a low growl, he couldn't allow for any distractions on this quest. Fili and Kili were both young and he still had doubts about whether he should have allowed them to come. Thorin wouldn't put it past his nephews – Kili in particular – to put themselves in harm's way on her behalf. Gandalf cleared his throat and Thorin turned round,

"As I said," the wizard smiled, "We're all in one piece,"

"No thanks to your burglar,"

Gandalf frowned, "He had the nous to play for time. It's a pity the rest of you didn't think of that,"

Thorin frowned. Not wanting to admit the wizard was right he looked over at the stone trolls.

"Since when do mountain trolls come this far south?"

"Not for an age," Gandalf's face darkened, "And not since a darker power ruled," he moved towards the statues and taps one of them with his staff,

"They could not have moved in daylight," he mused. Thorin looked around,

"There must be a cave nearby,"

* * *

As the group began to move off in search of the troll cave Kili waited behind for Arianna. She rubbed her scalp with a grimace. Kili watched her worriedly,

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, "I think that troll pulled some of my hair out. Along with cracking my ribs," she winced slightly; it was a lot harder to breathe than it had been yesterday morning. She was aware that Kili was watching her closely. Her head was burning and her vision kept going blurry every ten minutes. She'd slowed down her pace to avoid falling and very soon both she and Kili were right at the back of the pack. As far as she was aware Thorin hadn't yet noticed. Arianna gritted her teeth. If he snapped at her just once…

"Arianna!"

Arianna's head snapped up, seconds before her feet tripped over a large tree root. Throwing her hands out in front of her she was surprised when her body stopped falling a few inches from the ground. Looking to her left she saw Kili had his hands round her waist. However, what surprised her more was that he was blushing as he pulled her to her feet. She brushed herself down,

"Thanks," as she smiled she saw his face go even redder. He turned to move forward before turning round and - after a brief hesitation – offered her his arm,

"Lean on me," he said quietly. Arianna paused before putting her arm round his shoulders. As his arm slipped round her waist she felt the heat rise on the back of her neck. With Kili's help they were able to move a bit faster. However, Arianna's vison was still blurry and her feet stumbled on the ground. Kili's grip round her waist tightened and Arianna didn't dare look at his face in case she started to blush. As they joined back up with the group she saw both Fili and Thorin watching her closely. Arianna carefully removed her arm from Kili's shoulders, ignoring the icy glare Thorin was giving her. Instead she moved towards Fili,

"How are you feeling?" she asked. He looked at her in surprise,

"I should be asking you that shouldn't I?"

Arianna shrugged, "Well it's nice to know people care I suppose,"

Fili grinned, "Thanks for earlier by the way. I don't think I've ever seen anyone attack a troll so savagely,"

"It was nothing,"

He narrowed his eyes, "Modesty doesn't really suit you," he groaned as Arianna punched him playfully on the arm. Rubbing his pretend bruise Fili looked at her. Arianna frowned,

What is it? Do I have something on my face?"

Fili shook his head. His blue eyes now serious, "You had my brother worried for a bit back there,"

"Well I can only say I didn't plan on being grabbed by a mountain troll," she attempted to laugh but instead grabbed her ribs in agony. Taking a few deep and painful breaths she saw Fili looking at her and she shook her head,

"I'm fine," looking back she saw Kili quickly avert his gaze from her face. Fili gave her a soft smile,

"The last time I saw him so worried was when I fell off my pony and broke half the bones in my body," he looked into Arianna's eyes,

"If there's one thing you should know about Kili, it's that when he cares about someone their life becomes far more important than his own,"

Arianna noted the touch of worry in Fili's voice, "You didn't want him to come on this quest did you?" she kept her voice low. Not wanting Kili to hear. Fili shook his head,

"He has a tendency to be…reckless. I had to endure a two hour lecture from our mother before we left. About keeping him safe," he rolled his eyes, "Kili's always been her favourite,"

Arianna gave a grim smile as Fili looked behind him before turning back to her,

"If anything were to happen to him…" he bit his lip, "He's my little brother. I'm supposed to protect him no matter what,"

Arianna turned away so Fili wouldn't see the tears that had sprung to her eyes. Swallowing the lump in her throat she went to reply when she saw they had stopped moving. Both Gandalf and Thorin were making their way into a large cave. As she got nearer Arianna put her arm over her face,

"That's disgusting!" she spat, following Bofur, Gloin, Nori and Dwalin into the cave. As they went further in the smell got worse and Arianna could see even the dwarves were wrinkling their noses in disgust. Arianna dared to move her arm away and as she took a breath she almost gagged,

"Seriously. That's disgusting!"

"This is a troll hoard," Gandalf called back to her, "Be careful what you touch,"

Arianna nodded and was about to move forward when her vision blurred and she almost collapsed against the cave wall. Her legs shook and she could feel the sweat on her skin. Shutting her eyes she took careful breaths. She wasn't going to throw up now. Not in front of Thorin and the others. Opening her eyes she looked up to see Dwalin looking at her. To Arianna's surprise the dwarfs face was full of concern,

"Are ye alright lass?"

Arianna nodded before her legs shook again. Dwalin put an arm round her,

"Let's get you out of here," he muttered grimly. Arianna looked at him carefully as the warm sun streamed onto her face,

"Am I forgiven then? For throwing those knives at you in Bag – End," as soon as she said it she realised just how long ago that party had been. She couldn't believe they'd been travelling for weeks already. Dwalin laughed at her,

"You saved Fili's life. Plus you tried were able to free my brother last night. Even though you were almost killed,"

Arianna smiled at the dwarf as he helped her sit down a few metres away from the entrance to the cave. For a second he seemed unsure about whether or not to stay. Arianna shook her head as she saw Bilbo coming over,

"You can go back if you like,"

The dwarf bowed and left her on her own. Arianna smiled warmly at Bilbo who sat down beside her. She gently nudged him,

"Well done for earlier," he looked at her in shock. Arianna realised that she must have been the first person in the group to actually say well done to the hobbit. Bilbo gave her a grateful smile and she nodded,

"I'm serious. There really is more to you than meets the eye,"

"Well…I don't know about that," Bilbo said modestly as Gandalf and the dwarves began to exit the cave. Arianna watched as Gandalf handed Bilbo an Elvish knife.

"Bilbo. This should be about your size,"

The hobbit's face fell but Arianna noticed that he still took the sword, "Gandalf…I can't take this,"

The wizard ignored him, "The blade is of Elvish make. Which means it will glow blue when Orcs or Goblins are nearby,"

Bilbo nodded, still looking at the sword as though it was about to leap up and stab him, "I've never used a sword in my life," he hissed. Gandalf looked at the hobbit proudly,

"And I hope you never have to. But remember this. True courage is knowing, not when to take a life. But knowing when to spare one,"

As he said this his gaze landed on Arianna who frowned. Bilbo opened his mouth when Gandalf's eyes narrowed at the sound of something large crashing through the trees.

"Stay together!" Gandalf drew his sword and pushed past Bilbo. Arianna slowly got to her feet and fitted an arrow into her bow. She could still see Bilbo staring at the sword and she grabbed him,

"We can worry about this later," she gritted her teeth as she pushed Bilbo forward; ignoring the pain in her ribs. As she joined the rest of the company she saw Kili's eyes fixed on her face as the group drew closer together as the crashing noise got closer. Kili pulled Arianna back as a large sled being pulled by several rabbits burst into the clearing. The rider worse nothing but layers of ragged clothes with a hat that was very similar to Bofur's placed askew on his head. Almost everyone had drawn a weapon as a loud voice called out,

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!"

Arianna lowered her bow as the rider came into view. Pushing past Kili and the others she stepped up beside Gandalf, who had a big smile on his face,

"Radagast! Radagast the Brown!"

Although the dwarves lowered their weapons, Arianna was aware that they were still eyeing the two wizards carefully. She on the other hand moved to give Radagast a hug. However he leant back as though he had never seen her before,

"Who are you if I may ask?" his bright blue eyes scanning her face. Gandalf chuckled,

"Don't tell me you've forgotten Arianna?"

Radagasts eyes lit up, "Arianna!" he gave her a grin as wide as her own before pulling her into a hug. She winced in pain but kept her smile,

"Easy on the ribs Radagast," she muttered. He loosened his grip slightly,

"How are _you_?" he whispered in her ear. Arianna knew what he was talking about. Under any other circumstances she would have talked about the whole incident with the slave traders. As it was all she could do was nod,

"I'm fine,"

As they drew apart Gandalf eyed Radagast warily, "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you Gandalf. Something's wrong! Something's very wrong!" Radagasts voice was filled with a fear that worried Arianna. The Radagast she knew was almost never worried about anything. Except mushrooms. Radagast opened his mouth as if to say what was bothering him when he frowned,

"I had a thought and now I've lost it," he rolled his eyes, "It was right here on the tip of my tongue," his eyes widened, "Oh…it's not a thought at all. It's a silly old stick insect,"

Arianna laughed as Gandalf pulled the insect from Radagast's mouth. She looked over to see the dwarves staring in utter bewilderment at the wizard. As the two wizards made their way to a quiet corner Arianna felt a sharp pain in her ribs. Leaning against the bushes that lined the surrounding banks she gently rubbed her ribs. Looking up she saw Kili standing over her,

"How do you know…Radagast?" he frowned as he struggled to say the wizards name. Arianna paused, unsure of what to say. To her surprise she was saved from having to answer by Thorin,

"Fili, Kili. A word,"

Kili rolled his eyes before following his brother, who put an arm round his shoulders,

"If this is about Arianna let me do the talking," he whispered. Kili shrugged,

"You do all the talking anyway," he muttered as he and his brother stood before Thorin who was looking at the two carefully.

"What is it uncle?" Fili asked. Thorin looked around before resting his gaze on his two nephews,

"The girl…Arianna. Don't think I haven't noticed the way you look at her," he turned to Kili, "The way you ran to her after the troll attack,"

"Uncle she was injured," Kili hissed, forgetting his promise to be quiet. Thorin raised an eyebrow,

"So you react that way if it was Fili?"

"Of course,"

"Dwalin or Bofur?"

Kili nodded. Thorin shook his head,

"You two are on the quest by special consent. You cannot afford to be distracted by anything,"

"Uncle we are not distracted by her," Fili stepped in front of his brother, "She's a friend. Nothing more,"

Thorin nodded, "Good. She may be attractive, but she's still a human,"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kili interrupted. Thorin frowned,

"It has everything to do with it," Thorin pushed past his two nephews to join the rest of the company. Fili looked over at his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder,

"Are you okay?"

Kili nodded, "I'm fine," shrugging Fili's hand away he followed his uncle. Gandalf and Radagast had re-joined the dwarves and both of them were staring uneasily at each other. Suddenly, a blood chilling howl pierced the air. Within seconds everyone was on their feet. Bilbo looked around him in terror,

"Was that a wolf? Are their wolves out here?"

Bofur shook his head, noticing the blood drain from the Hobbit's face, "Wolves? No that is not a wolf,"

As the words left his mouth a giant Warg came into view behind Bofur. As it leapt for the dwarf and Bilbo both Kili and Arianna let loose their arrows. As the beast fell to the ground another one appeared. One swift movement from Thorin and Dwalin stopped it in its tracks. Unconsciously, Arianna moved towards Kili as Thorin pulled his blade from the animal's fur,

"Warg scouts," he spat, "Which means an Orc pack is not far behind!"

"Orc pack?" Bilbo gasped. Gandalf pushed him aside and rounded on Thorin,

"Who did you tell about this quest, beyond your own kin?"

"No one," Thorin muttered. Gandalf glared at him,

"Who did you tell?"

"No one I swear!" Thorin looked at the company, "What in Durin's name is going on?"

"You are being hunted," Gandalf yelled. The group began to huddle together,

"We've got to get out of here," Dwalin growled. Suddenly there came a shout from Ori,

"We can't! We've got no ponies! They've bolted!"

"I'll try to draw them off," Radagast said. Gandalf shook his head,

"These are Gundabad wargs…they will outrun you,"

"These are Rhosgobel rabbits," Radagast grinned, "I'd like to see them try,"

Oin leaned towards Bofur,

"Did he say rabbits?"

Bofur nodded grimly, "He said rabbits,"

As Radagast jumped back on his sled Thorin and Gandalf began to usher the company along. Without giving it a second thought, Arianna grabbed Kili's hand and looked up at him. He gave her a reassuring smile before the company began running for their lives.

_**Wow…so this was a big chapter. It kind of ran away with me a bit I'm afraid. I was going to split it into two but couldn't find a good place to split it so I kept it as one. Hope you enjoy it all the same. **_


	11. Revelations

_**Oooh….so close to 2,000 views! Thanks to Booker10, ReadingAnyhow, XannaAngel, morikhelek13 and B00kah0l1c for following.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – So happy that you liked those chapters to the extent you couldn't put your kindle down! **_

_**Sorry I didn't update yesterday but I'm on holiday in the Lake District at the moment and we were out all day yesterday so I didn't have an opportunity to post the next chapter.**_

Revelations

As Radagast and his sled shot out from the forest, Gandalf and Thorin began to herd the rest of the company across a large rocky plain. As several wargs began to chase the wizard, Arianna's heart sank as she saw just how bare the land was. There was no way they would be able to cross it unseen. Kili pulled her along with him as the company ran to hide behind a large rock as several more wargs – many carrying orcs – ran dangerously close to them. Peeping out Arianna saw Radagast narrowly avoid a large Warg carrying an orc,

"Ha! Come and get me!" he shouted behind him. Even from her distance, Arianna could see the smile on Radagasts face as he easily swerved past his chasers.

"I don't believe it," she muttered in disgust. Kili looked down at her as she clenched her fist,

"He's enjoying this!"

"Stay together!" Gandalf cried as the company burst from their hiding place and sprinted across the plains. Arianna's heart thudded against her tightening chest and she could feel the blood rushing to her head. As the company dove for cover behind yet another rock she took deep, gasping breaths – clutching her ribs in agony.

"Ori no!" Thorin pulled the young dwarf back as Radagast and his pursuers once again came dangerously close. As soon as it was safe to move the company once again began running. Arianna looked over at Bilbo. His face a mask of fear and terror and her heart went out to him. No one should ever have to face anything like this. As they carried on running, Thorin looked at Gandalf carefully,

"Where are you taking us?" he growled. Gandalf merely picked up his staff and ran after the dwarves. As Thorin followed he could hear the howls of the animals getting ever closer and his heart sank. It was only a matter of time before they would be found. Picking up his pace Thorin pushed several of the slower members along. Gandalf looked around him,

"Run!" Gandalf yelled. It wasn't as though the dwarves needed any encouragement to do that. As she looked at them Arianna wondered if any of them had ever run this fast in their lives. Behind her she could hear the ragged breathing of Fili and Kili. She grimaced as once again her own chest tightened and her cracked ribs sent a sharp pain through her side. Gritting her teeth she threw herself against a huge rock and flattened herself against it. She clasped her shaking hands together,

"I will not be afraid," she mouthed. No one dared even to breathe as the unmistakable, foul stench of a Warg and its rider drew closer. Lifting her head just an inch, Arianna's blood froze,

"It's right above us," she whispered to Thorin. He didn't answer and instead looked across to Kili. Kili nodded and silently drew out an arrow and fitted it to its bow. Ignoring the looks from Thorin Arianna did the same before nodding to Kili. Simultaneously the pair stepped away from the rock and fired their arrows. Kili's landed in the Warg whilst Arianna's pierced the neck of the orc. The satisfied smile on her face fell as the Warg and orc fell from the rock – their dying screams filling the air. The Warg thrashed as Dwalin and Bifur hurriedly finished it off. But as more howls filled the air the company knew it was too late. As the orc scrabbled to its feet, Arianna let loose another arrow, piercing its chest. She barely had time to watch it fall back when Kili pulled her along,

"Move! Run!" Gandalf yelled. The company ran towards a small clearing and huddled together as the wargs began to approach from all sides.

"There they are!" Gloin yelled. Arianna pushed Bilbo along; her eyes scanning for Gandalf. Bilbo followed her gaze and she gave him a brief smile as she fitted another arrow to her bow. Chilling screams pierced the air as Oin and Nori dispatched a Warg and an orc whilst Dwalin took another one down.

"There's more coming!" Kili yelled as more and more Wargs came into view – their snarls sent a chill down Arianna's spine.

"Kili! Arianna! Shoot them!" Thorin yelled. Arianna stepped up beside Kili, launching arrows into the air. The pair of them worked together, each taking their own side and hitting any that came to close to the other. But despite not wasting most of their arrows, their efforts were in vain,

"We're surrounded!" Fili drew out his sword before running back towards the company. As the company crew close together they realised that they were missing someone,

"Where's Gandalf?" Fili cried. Thorin's head snapped round,

"He's abandoned us!" Dwalin growled. Arianna shook her head. Gandalf would never leave the company _now_. Not at a time like this. As the wargs moved closer, Arianna saw the saliva dripping from their fangs,

"Hold your ground!" Thorin wielded his sword and glared furiously at the grinning orcs. A small rock whizzed past Arianna's ear and landed straight in the eye of a Warg. As it shook its head she turned to see Ori being pulled back by Dori. As he let loose another arrow Kili looked over at her,

"Get back," he yelled, "It's too dangerous!" Arianna shook her head,

"And leave you? I don't think so!"

Kili opened his mouth but she cut him off,

"Do you really want to get another slap in front of everyone?"

Kili frowned at her before her took several steps back. Arianna sheathed her bow and instead drew out two long blades.

"This way you fools!" Gandalf's shouts ran through the air. Arianna turned her head to see him standing by a large rock. One by one the company ran towards him and her eyes widened with realisation when they began to disappear into the ground. Thorin stood by Gandalf,

"Move quickly! All of you go!" he yelled. He looked up to see Kili and Arianna were still facing off the wargs,

"Arianna! Kili!" he yelled, a touch of panic in his voice. The pair turned round and began running. As soon as they turned their backs the wargs leapt forward. Arianna's ribs were in agony now and sweat was pouring down her face. She could hear the snarls behind her and as she neared Thorin she saw the look of terror on his face. Turning round she saw a huge Warg with a hideous orc riding it. The orc gave a sick smile as it began running towards Kili. Arianna didn't even think about it. This would most likely be the most insane thing she ever did in her life. Gripping her blades tightly she sprinted towards the Warg. Kili's face widened as he passed her,

"Arianna!" he screamed. He turned to follow her when his uncle grabbed him round the waist and all but threw him towards the company. As she neared the Warg, Arianna took a deep breath before launching into the air. Placing one foot on the wargs head she delivered a fierce side kick into the stomach of the shocked orc. It fell backwards onto the ground and Arianna jumped from the animal and gripped the orcs body with her knees,

"Die filth!" she growled as she cross slashed the orcs throat with her knives – spraying her face and tunic with its blood. Arianna gagged on the smell as she got to her feet. Sheathing her knives she turned to run when a large black shape slammed into her chest and knocked her to the ground. The pain from her now broken ribs however was nothing as the wargs jaws clamped around her leg. Arianna screamed as the knife like fangs sank into her skin. She thrashed and kicked out uselessly at the Warg, her screams getting louder as the teeth dragged along her skin. Hands shivering she pulled out a small knife from her belt. Using the last of her strength she reached up and embedded the knife into the animal's skull. It howled in pain and as its jaws came away from her leg Arianna dragged herself away. Looking up she saw two more wargs running towards her. She forced herself to her feet, cursing violently as she put weight on her injured leg. Screaming with rage she threw out her hands. The shockwave blasted the wargs backwards; some were thrown into large rocks whilst others landed on the ground in a daze. Before any of them had a chance to recover Arianna turned and ran. Adrenaline kicked in and she half ran, half limped towards the rocks. Arianna thanked her lucky stars she hadn't been too far away. She could barely make it and if she had been any further she would have been killed long ago.

* * *

Kili strained against Dwalin's iron grip. His uncle had jumped down into the hole the second Kili had landed and the young dwarf glared at his uncle,

"What about Arianna?" he spat. Thorin opened his mouth to say something when a piercing scream rang out. The company gripped each other and their faces fell as they heard Arianna scream again. Kili had pushed past Thorin and had almost reached the short slope when Dwalin pulled him back. All his fighting and struggling had been useless and Kili glowered at Thorin,

"Why will you not help her?" he cried, fully aware of tears forming in his eyes. The dwarves all looked at each other guiltily and as the screaming stopped, Kili could feel the eyes of everyone rest on him. He stopped struggling but Dwalin's grip didn't relent. There was complete and utter silence in the hole. All eyes fixed on the opening. A small figure slid down the incline, leaving a trail of blood, before collapsing into a heap on the ground.

"Arianna!" Kili freed himself from Dwalin and crouched down beside her. She lifted her head to look at him and a gasp flew round the group as they saw the blood. She shook her head,

"Don't worry. It's not mine," she pulled at her blood stained tunic and grimaced. From outside the sound of hoof beats and hunting horns could be heard. The terrified cries of orcs and wargs were slowly cut short. As a body tumbled down into the hole the company backed away hurriedly. Kili kept one eye on the dead orc and another on Arianna. Hesitantly Thorin stepped near the body. Satisfied it was dead he ripped the arrow from its chest,

"Elves," he growled, - throwing the arrow aside. Arianna sighed as Thorin pushed Kili aside, grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her roughly,

"What on earth possessed you!" he yelled, "Were you trying to get yourself killed!"

Arianna fixed him with an icy glare, "That Warg was going to kill Kili," she spat, "I saved his life!"

"I didn't need saving!" Kili protested. Arianna shook herself free of Thorin's grip,

"Don't start bringing your male ego into this," she told Kili. Her gaze settled on Thorin who lowered his eyes. Arianna shook her head as the dwarf backed away. She leant her head against the rock and gently probed the bite marks on her leg. Biting her lip to stop her crying out she was aware of both Fili and Kili watching her closely. Untying her cloak she brought out a knife and ripped two long strips off the end. Tying one round the largest cut on her leg, Arianna then lifted up her shirt and wrapped the second strip around her broken ribs, wincing as the cloth cut into her skin.

"I cannot see where the pathway leads," Dwalin's voice called, "Do we follow it or not?"

"Follow it of course!" Bofur nodded before following Dwalin through a narrow rocky passage.

"I think that would be wise," Gandalf said, gently pushing Bilbo forward. As the dwarves filed out through the passage, only Fili, Kili and Arianna were left. Fili stood at the entrance,

"Well?"

"Coming," Arianna pushed herself to her feet before crying out in pain and falling to the floor. Kili knelt beside her and gave his brother a pointed look. Fili rolled his eyes as he set off down the path. Kili looked down at Arianna's leg. The blood had soaked through her bandage and her face was getting pale. He pushed her hair from her face,

"Put your arm round me," he said softly. She shook her head,

"I'm fine Kili. I'm not asking for help,"

"But you need it," he replied. Arianna nodded before putting her arms round Kili's neck as he slid one arm round her waist and another around her legs. As he picked her up he grinned at her,

"I've always wanted to have a fair maiden in my arms,"

Arianna raised an eyebrow and Kili blushed,

"Shall we just forget I said that?" he asked quickly as he carried Arianna through the narrow path way. She nodded,

"I think that would be best," she leant her head against his shoulder, ignoring the pain in her ribs. Her brain was a mess. She had just managed to use her powers for good. She had been in control for the first time in ages. She didn't understand why she couldn't always do that? Why did she sometimes lose that control? The path narrowed in places and Kili had to step sideways. One time her leg banged against a rock and she gripped Kili's shoulder in pain,

"Sorry," he muttered. She gave him a weak smile. As his cheeks went red she smiled more. They had at last caught up with the others as the pathway opened out and everyone stood in awe at the sight of rivers and waterfalls before them. The dwarves stopped at the edge of the cliff and Arianna looked over at Kili,

"You can put me down now," she whispered. Kili raised an eyebrow,

"Can you walk?"

"Probably not,"

"Then I'll carry you,"

As the rest of the company saw them, cheeky grins turned into looks of concern as they saw Arianna's blood soaked leg. Gandalf was beside her in an instant,

"Whatever happened?"

"It's just some bites, I'm fine,"

Gandalf nodded in acceptance before turning towards the view, "The valley of Imraldis. In the common tongue it's known by another name,"

"Rivendell," Arianna heard Bilbo say quietly. She looked over at the hobbit and was surprised to see a smile appear on his lips. As she looked round she noticed most of the dwarves were also fairly happy to see such a sight. However Dwalin and Thorin were less than pleased,

"So this was your plan all along," Thorin turned to Gandalf, "To seek refuge with our enemy?"

Gandalf rolled his eyes,

"You have no enemies here Thorin Oakenshield. The only ill-will you will find is that which you bring yourself!"

Thorin ignored the wizard "You think the elves will give this quest their blessing? They will try to stop us,"

"Of course. But we have questions which need to be answered. If we are to be successful this will needed to be handled with tact…and no small degree of charm. This is why you will leave the talking to me,"

One by one the dwarves began to follow the wizard down the steps that had been carved into the rock. As he made his way down Kili gripped Arianna tightly in his arms. She muttered something under her breath but she was so quiet he couldn't make out what she was saying. As they crossed a stone bridge and stood on a large platform Arianna wriggled in his arms,

"Put me down Kili,"

He shook his head but she was insistent,

"Put me down," There was no argument.

Kili reluctantly obliged. As he set her down her kept one arm round her waist to keep her on her feet. He looked in curiosity as she ran her fingers through her hair and lifted her chin up. As a tall, dark haired elf in a purple robe made his way down the steps Gandalf stepped forward with a smile,

"Mithrandir!" the elf smiled, "_Lastannem I athrannedh I Vruinen."_

"Lindir! I must speak with Lord Elrond," Gandalf said. Lindir frowned,

"My Lord Elrond is not here."

Gandalf frowned before smiling as an elvish horn broke the silence. As he turned he saw a long line of riders clatter over the bridge and onto the platform. Thorin narrowed his eyes,

"_Ifrid Bekar!"_ he yelled, "Hold ranks!"

The company grouped together in a small circle - Ori and Bilbo pushed into the centre. Kili's hand lingered over his sword but he kept a far tighter grip on Arianna, eyeing the elf riders with distaste. A tall, imposing elf jumped of his horse and strode over to Gandalf,

"Lord Elrond," Gandalf cried, _"Mellonnen! Mo evinedh?"_

"_Farannem lamhoth I udl o charad. Dagannem rim na lant veui,"_ Elrond replied as he embraced Gandalf, "Strange, for orcs to come so close to our borders,"

"Ahh," Gandalf sighed, "That may have been us," he stepped towards the cluster of dwarves. Elrond looked at Thorin,

"Welcome Thorin, son of Thrain,"

"I do not believe we have met," Thorin said as civilly as he could. Elrond lifted his chin up,

"You have your grandfathers bearing. I knew Thror when he ruled under the mountain,"

"Indeed. He made no mention of you," Thorin said icily. Lord Elrond raised an eyebrow before looking above the dwarves,

"_Nartho I noer, toltho I viruvor. Boe I annam van a nethail vin."_

The dwarves muttered to each other angrily. Gloin stepped forward,

"What is he saying? Is he offering us insult?"

No master Gloin he is offering you food," Gandalf said in exasperation. Gloin paused before nodding,

"Well…in that case. Lead on." The dwarves began to follow Lord Elrond up the steps into Rivendell. Kili was about to lead Arianna forward when an elf jumped down from his horse and faced the pair,

"Arianna!" he cried. Kili stepped in front of Arianna protectively. He didn't know what it was but there was something about the elf that he didn't like. The ways his eyes lingered on Arianna made Kili's skin crawl. To his surprise Arianna took a small step back and the elf's eyes narrowed,

"Hello Fenian," she said weakly before moving past the elf and following the others up the steps. She could hear Kili behind her and she quickened her pace as best she could. She had no idea how she was going to explain any of this to the company. All she knew was that Thorin would want to kill her when he found out the truth. As they entered a long hall Lord Elrond smiled at Arianna,

"_Creoso Arianna. Nae saian luume'"_

Arianna could feel the gazes of the dwarves rest on her back. She didn't have to look to know that Thorin was glaring at her murderously. Lord Elrond placed a hand on her shoulder,

"I know someone who will be happy to see you again,"

Arianna followed Elrond's gaze down the corridor. Her eyes widened with joy as she saw the tall figure of a female elf smiling at her. Long black hair fell down her shoulders and the elf's eyes sparkled. Arianna couldn't believe it,

"Arwen!"

**Translations**

**Lastannem I athrannedh I Vruinen –**We heard you had crossed the valley

**Ifrid Bekar - **Ready weapons

**Mellonnen! Mo evinedh? – **My friend! Where have you been?

**Farannem lamhoth I udl o charad. Dagannem rim na lant veui – **We've been hunting a pack of Orcs that came up from the south. We slew a number near the hidden pass

**Nartho I noer, toltho I viruvor. Boe I annam van a nethail vin – **Light the fires, bring forth the wine. We must feed our guests.

**Creoso - **Welcome

**Nae saian luume' - **It has been too long

_**Yet another action packed chapter! Hope everyone's enjoying the pace of the story by the way.**_

_**Bit of a cliff-hanger ending there…wonder how the company are going to react to this little surprise. **_


	12. The Assassin and the Elf

_**Glad everyone still loves the story! **_

_**Bunny's daughter – Don't panic I'm updating as fast as I can!**_

_**Booker10 – I loved writing it so I'm glad you loved reading it**_

_**Celebrisilweth – The Arianna puzzle is growing as we speak. As for Kili…only time will tell.**_

_**Would just like to remind everyone that I do not own any of TOLKIEN'S characters, just the ones I have created.**_

The Assassin and the Elf

Arianna limped across the hall and into the open arms of Arwen Evenstar. The elf maiden hugged the assassin tightly and Arianna could feel tears welling up in her eyes,

"_Mellonnen!"_ Arwen cried, _"Manke nae lle?"_

Arianna burst into laughter as more tears ran down her face. Arwen stroked her cheek,

"_lle en aica,"_ she raised an eyebrow as she looked at Arianna's blood stained face and tunic. Arianna grinned,

"_Diola lle,"_ she then frowned and shook her head, "Not in front of the company," she whispered, "They're already going to be angry with me for keeping this quiet. I don't want to annoy them anymore."

Arwen nodded and put an arm round Arianna's shoulders. She turned to Lord Elrond, who was now staring at Arianna in concern,

"You are wounded?" he stepped beside her and gently probed her stomach. Arianna winced and Arwen tightened her grip,

"She needs healing father,"

Elrond nodded, "Take her to her room, I will be along shortly,"

Arwen nodded and began to lead Arianna away. Arianna looked down at the dirt and blood that now stained Arwen's red dress,

"I seem to have ruined your dress…again,"

Arwen smiled at her gently, "It's good to have you back _mellonnen._"

Arianna grinned despite her wounds. As she looked back however she saw the figure of Fenian lingering at the end of the corridor. She frowned and turned away. Arwen watched her gaze and held her friend close,

"He still watches you as though you are his possession," she whispered. Arianna shrugged, faking indifference. Arwen raised her eyebrow,

"Be careful of him Arianna. There's something not quite right about him,"

"I can take care of myself Arwen," Arianna shook her head but Arwen merely rolled her eyes,

"Even so…I don't like the way he watches you. Make sure you aren't alone with him,"

Arianna was about to tell her friend that she was over reacting. However at the look on Arwen's face, she simply nodded.

* * *

Kili watched as the two women embraced each other. He dared risk a glance at Thorin and wasn't surprised to find a look of fury on his uncle's face. Fili leant close to him,

"Is she crying?" he whispered, a small grin on his face. Kili looked over at Arianna. Tears ran down her face and despite the large smile she wore, Kili couldn't help but want to run over to her. He must have moved forward because he felt his brother pull him back,

"Not now," Fili whispered, indicating the dark look Thorin was directing at Arianna. Kili suddenly became interested in his shoes as Thorin rounded on Gandalf,

"You knew about this didn't you?" he hissed darkly. Gandalf huffed and Thorin shook his head,

"It was bad enough for you to bring a woman_"_ he muttered, "But an elfas well?"

"Uncle she isn't an elf," Fili kept a hard grip on Kili's shoulders. Thorin raised an eyebrow,

"And how do you know that?"

"I heard her say something in elvish," Fili ignored the rumbles from the dwarves around him, "She showed me her ears. She's a human,"

Thorin turned his back on Fili and faced Gandalf,

"Why did you not tell me of this?"

"Because this is how you would react," Gandalf retorted, "Thorin you must understand…this is hard for Arianna as well,"

Thorin nodded his head slowly, "We haven't finished talking about this," he growled as he marched off down the hallway. Gandalf sighed and shook his head. As the dwarves followed their leader, Fili and Kili lagged behind,

"Why would she keep this from us?" Kili asked. Fili raised an eyebrow,

"If you knew she came from Rivendell how would you have treated her? How would any of us have treated her?"

Kili nodded slowly. If the rest of the company had known Arianna had lived with the elves then they would have made her an outcast. They would never have accepted her as one of their own. His brother squeezed his hand,

"She'll be alright you know,"

Kili frowned and his brother rolled his eyes, "The bites on her leg? Her broken ribs? Does this ring any bells?"

"_Mahal!"_ Kili's eyes widened as he realised he had forgotten how bad Arianna's wounds were. He moved past his brother in a panic but Fili held him back,

"Leave her with the Lady Arwen," he said softly, "I think she needs that more than anything."

Kili nodded, blinking back the forthcoming tears as he allowed his brother to lead him towards a large room that had been set aside for the company. When they entered Kili had a feeling that all eyes had landed on him. Ignoring the gazes of the others he threw his weapons aside and flopped down on one of the fourteen beds that had been laid out. Most of the company sat round a small fireplace and even though he was trying not to pay attention, Kili could hear them talking about Arianna. He could hear Balin's voice above the loud muttering,

"It's no good complaining about it. Arianna will tell us her story when she's ready,"

"Aye but why did she hide this from us?" Bofur piped up. Balin sighed and allowed his brother to answer,

"Because she knew how we would react. How Thorin would react," Dwalin said angrily, "It's clear she didn't trust us otherwise she would have told us the truth from the start,"

"Trust us?" Kili lifted his head and glared at Dwalin, "She had never met any of us before and you expect her to tell us her life story?"

Dwalin opened his mouth but Balin, cut him off, "Enough brother," he turned to Kili, "Don't worry laddie. Arianna is in safe hands,"

Kili nodded. More to reassure himself than show Balin he was listening.

* * *

Arianna eased her body into the warm water and rested her head back. Arwen and a small team of healers had bound up her ribs and cleaned the bites on her leg. The majority had been superficial apart from one deep gash where the wargs teeth had torn through her flesh. After stitching the wound she had been told by Arwen to do nothing but stay in bed. However, the prospect of a clean bath and fresh clothes proved too much for her. The wounds on her leg stung as soon as she got in the water but she gripped the edges of the bath and shut her eyes; allowing the pain to subside. There was going to be a feast tonight and for the first time since Bag – End, Arianna was scared of coming face to face with the company again. She would have to explain everything to them and Arianna wasn't sure if she wanted to tell the dwarves her past. Once she mentioned her childhood she wound inevitably end up talking about the Kira Katil. And eventually she would end up mentioning her power. Clasping her hands together, Arianna took several deep breaths. She could always stay here if she wanted to. After all, Rivendell was the only thing she thought of as home. She had friends here. She had family.

"How are you feeling _mellonnen_?"

Arianna twisted her head round to see Arwen smiling gently at her. She smiled back,

"A lot cleaner than I did this morning," Arianna climbed out of the bath and wrapped a dark blue bath robe around her. Limping over to her bed Arianna pushed her hair over her shoulder – showing the scar on her neck. As her fingers slid up to her necklace she could feel Arwen's wide eyes rest on her face,

"So would you like to explain about this dwarf prince of yours?"

Arianna's head snapped round, "He's not _my_ dwarf prince!" she could feel her cheeks turning pink.

A smile tugged on Arwen's lips and Arianna shook her head,

"Arwen I don't know what you are talking about,"

"Don't you?" Arwen smiled, "Arianna we have known each other for so long. I can read you like a book. I watched you two when you first arrived. He held you as though you were the most precious thing to him,"

Arianna could feel the lump rising in her throat. She shook her head as she pulled her bathrobe off and picked up the dress lying on the bed. She didn't wear dresses often as she found trousers more comfortable. But there was something about the soft fabric sliding over her body that brought out a smile on her face. The dress was a deep green with long, flowing white sleeves. As Arwen styled her hair Arianna caught sight of herself in the mirror. As she raised a hand to her cheek she was taken aback by her change in appearance. Her skin now had far more colour to it and she was looking better nourished already. Her hair fell across her shoulders and her mother's necklace glinted in the sunlight from the windows. Arwen nudged her shoulder,

"_Lle naa vanima,"_ she whispered. Arianna raised an eyebrow,

"And yet you look so much better…as always," there was no malice in Arianna's voice. She had always accepted the fact that Arwen was more beautiful than she could ever be. Arwen giggled as she ran a brush through her own hair,

"I'm sure your prince will be blown away,"

Arianna was tempted to say something back. To tell Arwen that Kili wasn't _her_ anything. But as she took another look at herself in the mirror a small smile tugged on her face. Kili _was _going to be blown away. They were _all_ going to be blown away. Satisfied she with her appearance Arianna allowed Arwen to lead her into the corridor. As they made their way towards the hall where the feast was being held, Arwen linked her arm through Arianna's and hugged her hard. They had reached the end of the corridor and Arianna could hear the laughter of the other dwarves. Her feet froze and she shook her head,

"I…I don't think I can go in there,"

"Why on earth not?" Arwen frowned and – to Arianna's annoyance – still managed to look beautiful. Arianna shook her head as Arwen opened the door and began leading her forward. The room was bright and airy. Arianna could see Lord Elrond, Gandalf and Thorin sitting at the top table whilst the rest of the dwarves sat at a longer table. She gripped the elf hard,

"Arwen I lied to them," she whispered, "They're going to hate me,"

As the eyes of the company rested on the two women Arianna was surprised to see broad smiles on everyone's faces. Arwen hugged her tightly,

"Somehow I doubt that," she whispered in her ear.

* * *

Kili toyed with the salad in front of him. A few seats down he could hear Dori trying to convince his younger brother to try the food that had been set out for them. Privately, Kili couldn't think of anything worse than having to eat just salad and vegetables. But he was starving and his hunger pains were far stronger than his desire for some meat on the table. Looking up he saw a tall elf maiden with long black hair sitting at a harp. As her slim fingers passed over the strings she looked up and gave Kili a soft smile. As Kili smiled back he could feel Dwalin's eyes rest on him and he quickly shook his head,

"Can't say I fancy elf maids myself," he said in a hushed voice, "They're all high cheekbones and creamy skin. Not enough facial hair for me," he looked up as another, taller, elf walked by and Kili winked at Dwalin,

"Although that one isn't half bad," he indicated behind him. Dwalin looked over Kili's shoulder before biting his lip to avoid bursting into laughter,

"What is it?" Kili frowned. Dwalin rolled his eyes,

"That's not an elf maid," Dwalin sniggered. Kili looked behind him to see the serious face of a male elf standing behind him. It was Fenian. As the rest of the dwarves burst into fits of laughter Kili rolled his eyes,

"Very funny," he muttered. However, as the dwarf's laughter slowly died away, leaving a soft silence, Kili raised his head to see both Arianna and Arwen standing at the top of a small flight of steps. Kili's breath stuck in his throat. He had heard the rumours and stories about the beauty of the Lady Arwen. He had never told Thorin but he had imagined being able to see such beauty in person. As he had expected, Arwen's beauty surpassed any of the rumours. But she was little more than a sparrow when he compared her to Arianna. Her hair seemed to be five different shades of brown and ginger. Her eyes shown as she looked round the room and Kili gave a small smile to himself as she brushed her dress down; the soft fabric hugging her curves and – to his surprise – a fair amount of cleavage. Arwen whispered something to Arianna and to Kili's surprise the girl blushed slightly. Fili gave his brother a nudge and winked at him. Shaking his head Kili looked up to see Arianna watching the dwarves carefully. Kili gave Dwalin a warning look as Arianna moved closer to him,

"What is it?" she asked as she looked round at the company who – to Kili's annoyance – were still trying to contain their laughter. He shook his head,

"Nothing. Nothing at all,"

Arianna raised an eyebrow at his quick answer. As she slid into her seat next to Kili she looked at the company,

"Okay okay…what's happened?"

Kili buried his head in his hands as Fili told Arianna of the…incident with Fenian. Sneaking a glance at her face Kili was relived she had managed to keep a straight face. However he could see the desperation to burst out laughing. Instead she put an arm round his shoulders,

"Leave Kili alone boys," she smiled at him, "If that's the kind of person he's into then we should be supportive," she tried to sound serious but the temptation proved too great and she burst out laughing at the end of her sentence. Kili shook his head as the dwarves began laughing and cheering,

"Thank you very much," he muttered. Arianna gave him a small smile and - under the cover of the table – took his hand in hers. Kili could feel himself blushing as she squeezed his hand,

"You look stunning," he whispered. She smiled and went to take her hand away when something caught his eye and he kept his grip on her,

"What are those," he whispered. Arianna looked down at her arm. Several pale white scars covered her skin and she quickly pulled her sleeve over them,

"Nothing," she replied, "Just scars I've gotten over the years,"

Kili raised an eyebrow but allowed her to remove her hand. As she did so Fenian leaned over and poured wine into her goblet. Kili could feel the elf's eyes rest on the back of Arianna's head for a second. He still couldn't explain it but he had a bad feeling about Fenian. Arianna gently pushed the goblet to one side before facing the dwarves,

"I'm sorry I never told you about Rivendell," she said quietly. The company all turned to face her and Arianna shrugged,

"I know I should have but…well there never seemed to be a good time to bring it up. After all, you never exactly spoke about the elves kindly."

The company all looked at each other for a second. Dwalin gave Arianna a small smile,

"Don't fret over it lass. Ye did what ye thought was right at the time."

Arianna smiled gratefully and Fili noticed she'd pushed the wine away,

"Aren't you going to have any?" he asked. She shook her head,

"No. Me and wine don't always mix. Especially after…." She trailed off. Realising she'd said too much. The dwarves all turned to her expectantly,

"After what?" Fili asked innocently. Arianna shook her head but Gloin nodded,

"Come on Arianna. The cat's out of the bag now,"

She rolled her eyes, "It isn't even that good a story," shaking her head she grinned, "Okay so about a year ago I happened to be in a tavern with some…friends. We might have been having a bit too much to drink and…" she trailed off as smiles began to appear on the dwarves faces,

"And…" Fili asked. Arianna shut her eyes,

"And I may have gotten a bit drunk, taken my shirt off and begun dancing on the table,"

Everyone looked at her in silence. Arianna opened her eyes just in time to see the whole table burst into more laughter. She looked beside her to see Kili wiping tears from his eyes,

"Oh my," Bofur cried, "That would have been a sight to see," he broke off as he felt Kili give him a kick under the table. Bofur frowned at the glaring dwarf who then turned back to Arianna and handed her the goblet,

"One drink won't hurt," he said, "I promise you I won't let you get drunk. Much,"

* * *

After the feast had ended, Thorin, Balin, Bilbo and Gandalf had all gone off with Lord Elrond. Meanwhile, the rest of the dwarves and Arianna were relaxing in their sleeping quarters. They had made a small fire and were now all sitting round it, laughing at the food fight that had broken out towards the end of the meal. Arianna rubbed her eyes as the light from the fire began to sting. She'd had a bad headache ever since the feast and she wanted nothing more than to go straight to bed. However, the dwarves had insisted she join them and she hadn't really been able to refuse. As they sat in a small huddle she could feel many of them watching her closely. Bofur looked at the sausage in his hand before turning to Bombur,

"Bombur. Catch,"

As the fat dwarf caught the sausage the chair he was sitting on collapsed under his weight. Arianna put a hand to her mouth as tears fell from her eyes. She turned to see Kili watching her,

"So then…you're an assassin. What else can you do?"

Arianna shrugged, "I can juggle,"

The dwarves turned to her, more smiles creeping on their faces,

"How many balls?" Ori piped up. Arianna winked at him,

"Eight balls. And four knives."

"Right then," Fili and Kili looked at each other with huge grins on their faces before they both brought out their knives and handed them to Arianna,

"This I want to see," Fili grinned as Arianna got to her feet. As she stood up a small wave of dizziness swept over her. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes before taking the knives in her hands, testing their weight. The dwarves watched in awe as she began to toss the knives into the air, catching them with ease. She did both high and low throws and even added in a couple of spins. She threw the last knife up towards the ceiling, spun round and leant backwards - catching the hilt between her teeth. As she bowed the dwarves clapped and cheered,

"Show off," Fili muttered as he took back the knives. As the dwarves began laughing Arianna joined in. Only for her laugh to be broken up by a sudden fit of coughing. The dwarves began looking at her in concern as her coughing got louder and far more frequent,

"Arianna?" Kili moved towards her but she shook her head,

"I'm fine," she coughed again, "I just need…" Another wave of dizziness passed over her as she bent over coughing. Her hand crept to her neck as she could feel a burning sensation in the back of her throat. Sweat began to form on her face and her coughing was becoming far more violent,

"I can't…breathe," she rasped. Her legs shook before giving way and as she fell to the floor she could feel Kili's arms around her waist – breaking her fall. He gently cradled her in his lap and tapped her face,

"Arianna? Arianna can you hear me,"

Arianna's throat was on fire. She couldn't draw breath and she could feel her vision blurring,

"Get help," she could hear the terror in Kili's voice and she reached out a trembling hand. He took it in his own and squeezed it hard,

"Arianna look at me," Kili's voice cracked, "Stay with me," Arianna could feel tears in her own eyes as she doubled over coughing. Her vision began to fade and the last thing she remembered was a woman grabbing her shoulders,

"_Tessa no Arianna. Tessa no."_

And then everything went black.

**Translations**

**Mellonnen – **My Friend

**Manke nae lle? – **Where were you?

**lle en aica - **You look terrible

**Diola lle – **Thank you

**Lle naa vanima – **You are beautiful

**Tessa no – **Hold on

_**Apologies for yet another cliff-hanger! For those who are wondering why I didn't include the whole feast scene it's because I didn't want that to be the main focus of this chapter and instead wanted to focus more on Arianna's character.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed it and please don't forget to let me know your thoughts as I appreciate the feedback.**_


	13. I'll be there for you

_**Huge thanks to Aeednat and PJO-Blue-cookies for following me.**_

_**Drwatsonn – Glad you liked the way I portrayed Arwen – I always felt that she was given a proper chance to be a really great female character in LORT so I wanted to try and give her a decent role to play in my story. **_

_**Bunny's daughter – I can only say that there will no doubt be many more cliff-hangers to come! **_

_**Huge thanks to everyone for all the great feedback I've received already. I know I keep going on about it but I have some self-esteem issues about my writing and I'm always worried about telling people that I write so to get such great feedback has really helped boost my confidence and it does mean a lot so thank you guys xx**_

I'll be there for you

Kili looked down at the limp body in his arms. He pushed Arianna's hair away from her face and stroked her cheek gently,

"Arianna?" he whispered, "Arianna please,"

He could feel his brother put an arm round him, but the gesture offered Kili no comfort. Instead it just caused more tears to fall down his face. Arwen placed a hand on Arianna's forehead,

"She's burning up. We need to take her to my father,"

"I'll take her,"

Kili looked up to see Fenian leaning forward to take Arianna in his arms. Kili gripped her limp body hard,

"Get away from her," he snarled. Fenian drew back and gave Kili a murderous look as the dwarf scooped Arianna into his own arms and followed the tall figure of Arwen into the corridor. Behind him the rest of the company followed closely behind. Their eyes fixed on the pale skin and sunken eyes of Arianna. Oin gently pulled Fili to one side,

"She's been poisoned," he whispered, his eyes dark. Fili looked at him,

"How can you tell?"

"All the signs of there. Although I do not know what poison was used."

Fili nodded and placed a hand on Oin's shoulder. This had been the second attempt on Arianna's life already. Somehow, Fili had a feeling that if she managed to survive this one then there would soon be others. He watched as Arwen led Kili through a door. Fili made to follow when Dwalin gently held him back,

"When I find the _maak al an haak_ who did this," he growled, gripping his axe tightly. Fili nodded in agreement. He hoped that Arianna's attacker was far from Rivendell. Because if he wasn't then Fili didn't rate his chances of survival once the company found out his identity.

* * *

It had been the longest night of Kili's life. The second the door had shut behind them and he had placed Arianna on the bed, Arwen had placed a cold rag on the girls forehead and pressed a hand to her neck,

"Her pulse is speeding up," she muttered grimly. Kili took Arianna's hand in his as she began another violent coughing fit. As a small trail of blood began to trail from the corner of her mouth he stroked her hair and bit his lip. He glared at Arwen, who had rolled her sleeves up and was mixing several herbs together. He knew it wasn't her fault. She cared for Arianna as much as anyone did. Yet if they had never come to Rivendell then none of this would have happened. Arianna wouldn't be lying here unconscious and possibly even dying. Kili wiped his tears away with the back of his hand, only to find Arwen watching him closely. Her own eyes filled with tears. Arianna's coughs were becoming harsher and her breathing was becoming ragged. Kili held her hair back as she threw up and he could feel more tears coming as the sweat shone on her pale skin and greying lips,

"Do something!" he growled at Arwen. She narrowed her eyes,

"We need to determine what poison was used." She eyed Kili closely,

"Was there anything she ate or drank that you didn't?"

Kili shook his head, "What about before the fest?"

"No, only a few poisons don't act instantly. Those that don't…usually only work after an hour or so. No more. She must have ingested it at dinner," Arwen turned to one of the elf healers, who stood over Arianna,

"Bring her goblet to me,"

As the elf ran from the room Kili looked over at Arwen. She smiled at him,

"Listen to me. I will not let her die."

No sooner had she said this than the door burst open and three people strode through. One was an elf Kili who had ran for the goblet. He passed it to Arwen before turning and leaving. Kili looked over at the other two and his heart soared,

"Gandalf!"

The wizard nodded gravely as Arwen passed the goblet to Lord Elrond. He sniffed it before frowning,

"Monkshood," he muttered. Kili could feel the colour drain from his face. His heart snapped as Arianna gave a pain racked cry as her body convulsed. Elrond glanced over at Kili,

"Hold her down for me,"

Kili gripped Arianna by the shoulders. Even with his full strength, she still convulsed and threw up several more times. Gandalf and Elrond moved to a quieter corner and Kili watched with interest as the elf began mixing up several herbs and liquids. Thirty minutes passed and Kili stroked Arianna's face. His hands slipped on her sweat covered skin.

"She's getting paler," Arwen muttered. She gently placed the back of her hand above Arianna's mouth,

"She's barely breathing," her head snapped round, "Father we're losing her!"

_NO!_ Kili's grip on Arianna's shoulders tightened. She couldn't die. Not now. He couldn't lose her.

"Don't you dare die Arianna," Arwen looked over at Kili. The fear and panic evident in both pairs of eyes. She was firmly pushed aside by Lord Elrond, who nodded at Kili,

"Don't let her spit it out,"

Kili frowned as Elrond began to force a dark green liquid down Arianna's throat. She coughed harshly and turned to spit it out when Kili clamped a hand over her mouth – forcing her to swallow it. His hands shook and he had stopped caring about to tears that were streaming down his face. Lord Elrond watched him closely,

"You care for her very much," it wasn't a question. Kili nodded,

"I would trade places with her now if I could," his voice cracked and Elrond placed a hand on his shoulder. Kili managed the smallest of smiles and as he slowly removed his hand from Arianna's mouth he shut his eyes in relief. She hadn't spit out the antidote. He turned to Elrond,

"Will she be alright now?"

Elrond paused, "I believe so. She wasn't given a large dose. Otherwise we would have lost her. Now…only time will tell,"

Kili looked down at the assassin. She'd stopped convulsing and her breathing was becoming more normal. Elrond placed a calm hand on Arianna's forehead,

"_Kaima Arianna. Kaima."_

He looked at Arwen who was muttering to Arianna, she held her hand whilst stroking her face with her free hand. Elrond placed a hand on his daughters shoulder before he and Gandalf left the room. Kili looked at the tears the coursed down Arwen's face. He wiped his own eyes and took Arianna's other hand,

"How is it that you and Arianna are so close?" he said the words quietly. Arwen looked over at him.

"Arianna spent her childhood here. She is, in all sense, my sister,"

"But…why did she come here?" Kili persisted. Arwen shook her head,

"It is not for me to say. Arianna will tell you in time." Getting to her feet she placed a gentle kiss on Arianna forehead and held her hand out to Kili,

"We must let her sleep,"

Kili shook his head, "I will not leave her,"

Arwen smiled at the obvious affection in the dwarf prince's voice,

"Then wait outside. You can do nothing for her now,"

She gently put an arm round Kili's shoulder. He nodded and got to his feet. Gently stroking Arianna's face with his hand he allowed Arwen to lead him away.

* * *

When Kili entered the corridor he saw the rest of the company were all waiting. A couple were standing but the majority were sitting against the wall. When Kili and Arwen came out they all shot to their feet. Fili opened his arms and drew his brother to him. Kili shut his eyes and leant against Fili. As the pair slowly sank to the ground everyone else turned to Arwen,

"The lass…is she…" Bofur trailed off. Not wanting to hear the answer. Arwen smiled,

"Do not worry. Arianna will be alright," Arwen made to go when Dwalin stopped her,

"I…" he blushed, "Thank you, my lady. Thank you for saving her,"

Arwen smiled before pushing past the dwarves who all slowly sat back down. Fili brushed his brother's hair from his face. Kili gave him a weak smile,

"You look exhausted, "Fili whispered. Kili shook her head,

"I just need five minutes. Then I'll go and watch over her,"

Fili shook his head and Kili sat up, "Someone just tried to kill her! We need to protect her!"

"Why do ye think we're here then lad?" Dwalin asked. Kili looked around at the dwarves. Dwalin got to his feet and gripped his axe,

"Get some rest Kili," he said, "We won't let anything hurt her," he then turned and let himself into Arianna's room.

Kili nodded as he leant his head against his brother's shoulder. He knew he should probably go back to his sleeping quarters. But a wave of tiredness overcame him and fell asleep against his brother. Fili hugged his brother tightly and looked down at the corridor as the others dwarves began to shut their eyes. In the low light he could just make out a tall figure standing at the end of the corridor. Fili couldn't make out who it was – but there was something he didn't like about them. They had a sense of…evil about them. Gripped his sword he frowned as the figure suddenly turned and strode away.

* * *

"Our business is no concern of elves," Thorin growled. Glaring at Lord Elrond. Once Arianna' had been given an antidote, Elrond had insisted that Gandalf tell him the truth of what was happening. Thorin, Balin and Bilbo now stood with the two in Lord Elrond's conservatory. Gandalf rolled his eyes and glared at Thorin,

"For goodness sake Thorin. Show him the map!"

"It is the legacy of my people. It is mine to protect…as are its secrets." Balin nodded in agreement at his kings words and Gandalf huffed angrily,

"Save me from the stubbornness of dwarves. Your pride will be your downfall. You stand here in the presence of one of the very few people who can read that map. Show it to Lord Elrond!"

Thorin sighed. He had no choice. Not if he wanted this quest to succeed.

"Thorin, no!" Balin cried out as Thorin handed the map over to Elrond. The elf opened it and scanned his sharp eyes over the map,

"Erebor," he glared at Thorin, "What is your interest in this map?"

"It's mainly academic," Gandalf quickly said. Bilbo stifled a laugh. Gandalf narrowed his eyes at the Hobbit,

"As you know these artefacts often contain hidden text. You still read ancient dwarvish do you not?"

Elrond nodded before looking back at the map. He held it up to the light,

"_Cirth Ithil,"_ he turned to Gandalf, who nodded,

"Moon runes!" he winked at Bilbo, "An easy thing to miss,"

"Moon runes can only be read by the light of a moon of the same shape and season as which they were written," Elrond turned to Thorin who looked at him with hope in his eyes,

"Can you read them?"

Elrond lead them out to the edge of the cliff. The waterfall cascaded above them and he placed the map on a clear stone table that shone in the starlight,

"These runes were written on a midsummer's eve by the light of a crescent moon nearly two hundred years ago," Elrond smiled at Thorin, "Fate is with your Thorin Oakenshield. It seems you were meant to come to Rivendell. The same moon shines on us tonight,"

As he said this the clouds parted and the moon light shone on the table – lighting up the map. Everyone peered round to see bright blue runes appear on the parchment. Elrond narrowed his eyes to read them aloud,

"Stand by the grey stone, when the thrush knocks. And the setting sun with the last light of Durin's day will shine on the keyhole,"

"Durin's day?" Bilbo frowned. Balin smiled,

"The start of the dwarfs new year. When the last moon of autumn and the first moon of winter appear in the sky together,"

"Summer is passing, "Thorin growled, "Durin's day will soon be upon us,"

"We still have time, "Balin said, "We have to be standing in the exact spot and the exact time. Then, and only then can the door be opened."

Elrond turned to Thorin, "So this is your purpose? To enter the mountain?"

"What of it?" Thorin glowered at Elrond,

"There are those who would not deem it wise,"

"Oh?" Gandalf frowned at Lord Elrond, who merely smiled,

"You are not the only guardian to stand watch over Middle Earth,"

Gandalf sighed. He knew exactly who Lord Elrond was talking about. Turning round he saw Thorin and Balin in deep conversation. Bilbo stood on the edge. Not so far away that he was kept from hearing what they were saying, but not too close to make him feel like a part of the conversation,

"The elves will try and stop us Thorin," Balin whispered. Now that they knew how to enter Erebor the old dwarf had found a new sense of hope that he hadn't experienced for a while. Thorin nodded,

"We need to leave as soon as possible,"

"As soon as Arianna is able to walk…" Balin began but Thorin shook his head,

"Thorin…you can't leave her here," Bilbo protested. Thorin glared at the Hobbit,

"Two attempts have been made on her life so far. What if another were to hurt one of the company? I cannot risk it,"

"Kili isn't going to like this," Balin shook his head. Thorin frowned,

"This isn't about what Kili likes. He chose to come on this quest and he will obey my rules."

"Even so…"Balin muttered as he followed his king, Gandalf and Lord Elrond. Elrond turned to Thorin,

"Keeping Arianna here won't guarantee her safety Thorin Oakenshield. If anything…she will be in far more danger than if she went with you,"

"I need to protect the whole company. Not just one girl,"

Elrond nodded, "And do you not think that thirteen dwarves are far better able to protect themselves and Arianna than we are? You forget she was part of the Kira Katil. You underestimate her ability to survive." He got down on one knee and placed a hand on Thorin's shoulder,

"I have raised Arianna. She is nothing less than my daughter. If I thought she would be safer here then I would not hesitate to keep here," Getting to his feet Elrond turned and walked off – leaving Thorin to follow in his wake. Meanwhile, Bilbo took one last look at the night sky. His eyes shining at the amount of stars he could see. He heard Thorin shout something and he hurriedly turned and ran to catch up with the others. As they made their way down the corridors Thorin was in deep thought. For once his mind wasn't filled by the quest. Instead it was his nephew and the assassin that worried him. Kili cared for her…he cared for her a lot. That much was clear. However, he couldn't tell if Arianna felt the same way as Kili. Either way Thorin was worried. This was why he hadn't wanted her to come. Despite what Arianna and Gandalf said, women were little more than distractions. Thorin knew Kili. He knew that he would happily put his own life in danger just to help any girl…especially one he cared for very much. Thorin rubbed his eyes; he didn't want to come between Kili and Arianna. But he had to put the needs of the company first. The quest had to come before anything. Even his own family.

**Translations**

**Maak al an haak – **Son of a bitch

**Kaima – **Sleep

**Cirth Ithil – **Moon Runes

_**Slightly shorter chapter than normal I'm afraid…but as least the cliff-hanger has been resolved! Hope everyone enjoyed the part with Thorin and Bilbo's POV – I wanted to add that scene in because it's one on my faves – not sure why but it just is. **_


	14. Family, Friends and Foes

_**Getting closer and closer to 3,000 views! Big thanks to Ciel-hime for following me.**_

_**Celebrisilweth – I didn't actually realise I'd ended on a cliff-hanger…I guess I just like to torment my readers with lots of suspense.**_

_**Drwatsonn – When I'm writing the chapters I do put things in to show changes in POV….why they aren't showing up I'm not sure but I'll try and sort it out.**_

_**There might be some experimenting with the next few chapters to try and get these scene breaks to come up. If anyone has any advice then I'd appreciate it very much.**_

Family, Friends and Foes

The first thing Arianna could hear was the sound of birdsong coming in through the open window. She took a deep breath and was surprised to find the pain in her ribs had gone. Licking her dry lips she slowly opened one eye and then the other. She was lying in her bed, in her room, in Rivendell. Looking down she saw someone had gotten her out of her dress and she was now wearing a white, short sleeved nightgown. She looked over at the chair by the door and was surprised to see Bofur sitting in it. Groaning as she forced herself to sit up she saw his eyes flicker and open. As he looked at her he almost fell of his chair from shock. Arianna laughed and then regretted it as her head still ached. Bofur jumped off the chair, tears in his eyes,

"Lass! Ye're awake"

"So it would seem," she muttered. Her throat was still very dry,

"I need water," she rasped. Bofur nodded and handed her a glass that lay on the wooden table by her bed. As she drained the glass Arianna was still surprised by the huge smile on the dwarfs face. Licking her lips she smiled at him,

"How long have I been out?"

"Almost a whole day,"

Arianna sat bolt upright at this news. Running a hand through her hair she sighed. Thorin wasn't going to thank her for causing this delay. Another thought struck her and she frowned at Bofur,

"Why were you asleep in my chair?"

"It was my turn on watch, "Bofur gave her a sheepish smile, "Sorry about falling asleep,"

"Your turn on watch?" Arianna frowned, not understanding. Bofur waved his hands at her,

"We've all taken turns," he winked at her, "Young Kili was here most of the time. He had to be dragged away in the end,"

Arianna blushed and she saw a smile creep onto Bofur's face. He edged towards the door,

"Are they outside?" Arianna asked. Bofur nodded,

"We weren't gonna leave you lass,"

Arianna felt a lump appear in her throat and she blinked her eyes to avoid crying. It had been so long since she'd experienced this kind of love from people. Bofur grinned,

"Feel up for visitors?"

As she nodded Bofur ran out into the corridor. Sitting back against the pillows Arianna braced herself for whatever reception she was going to get. The door had barely swung shut on Bofur when it burst open again as thirteen dwarves and one hobbit ran into the room. All of them wore big smiles although Arianna had no time to really notice as they all piled on top of her – showering her with hugs and cheers.

"Here give her some air!"

Gloin and Oin began pulling the dwarves away from Arianna who coughed gently before sitting up again. As she looked round the room her eyes strayed over to Kili who was leaning against his brother. He looked so tired and Arianna noticed he could hardly keep his eyes open. She grinned at him and he managed a blushing smile when her attention was transferred to Thorin. He stood at the foot of her bed with his arms folded. Arianna swallowed nervously. Somehow she didn't think she was going to like what he had to say,

"Congratulations on your recovery Arianna," Thorin smiled at her before frowning, "Trust me…when we find the person who did this…" he trailed off, allowing the muttered curses from the rest of the company to finish his sentence. Once again Arianna found herself in danger of crying. However, Thorin's gaze was still resting on her,

"You owe us an explanation Arianna," there was no anger in his voice. No malice or hate. Arianna nodded,

"I know. I was always going to tell you…but I could never find the most appropriate moment,"

"Well now seems as good a time as any lass," Bofur said gently. Arianna nodded,

"Yes I spent my childhood in Rivendell. Yes I was raised by elves to the extent that I was treated as though I was Lord Elrond's own daughter,"

"What about ye real family?" Bofur asked quietly. Arianna's hand lingered on her necklace that still hung around her neck,

"This was my mothers," she said quietly, "My father brought it for her before they were married. It was her – our – birthstone. She always said that one day…this would be passed down to me and to my daughters," she trailed off, a single tear falling down her face. Clearing her throat she turned to Thorin,

"I was born in a small farming community on the borders of Rohan. Life there was…simple. Nice. Almost idyllic," her voice hardened, "I was only ten years old when that changed."

The dwarves stayed respectfully silent and Arianna could see Kili's hand creep towards hers,

"An orc raiding party attacked our village and many others nearby. I shouldn't even say attacked really. They decimated the land. They raised the villages to the ground, slaughtering anyone they found. My father and my younger siblings…" Arianna blinked back her tears, "I stood there whilst a Warg tore them apart. My mother tried to hide me but…an orc found me," she gently trace the scar on her neck. She could still see the flash of the blade. Hear her screams as it tore her skin. She shook her head,

"I don't remember how we escaped. I just remember my mother holding me close to her. Telling me not to be afraid. We had almost dropped dead from exhaustion when we were found by elf scouts from Rivendell. My mother…" Arianna broke off. She put a hand to her mouth the stop the tears from coming. Kili held her hand tightly as another voice entered the room,

"The mother died. But fortunately we were able to save the child,"

The dwarves all parted as Arwen came round and knelt beside Arianna's bed. Tears in her eyes and she clasped her hand,

"_Mellonnen, lle ier kuile!"_

To Arianna's surprise, the dwarves didn't glare at Arwen – even when she spoke in her own language. Instead they all seemed to be deferring to her. Arianna looked over at Arwen and hugged her tightly,

"Arwen you should know by now…I'm almost impossible to kill!"

Arwen laughed, "I thought we had lost you again,"

"Again?" Everyone turned to Bilbo, who was frowning at the two women,

"What do you mean 'again'?"

Arianna sighed, "She is talking about when I went missing for twenty years,"

The dwarves all looked at each other in horror. Arwen smiled at Arianna,

"We were out riding. You were what…twenty five at the time? We were having a race and Arianna was out in front. She turned a corner and when I turned round expecting to see her…she was gone. Her horse was still there and all her things. Only she wasn't,"

Arianna held Arwen's hand tightly. Ignoring the looks from his brother, Ori stepped forward shyly,

"What happened?"

Arianna sighed. She knew what was coming. Thorin frowned at her and as she looked at his face she knew he knew,

"The Kira Katil abducted you didn't they?"

Arianna nodded, "It seemed I had skills they wanted to use," she hoped the company would accept her vague answer. She didn't feel ready to mention her gift unless she had to.

Thorin swore under his breath, "Yet you _worked_ for them! You gladly went out and killed for the very people who kept you a prisoner! _Mahal!_ What possessed you?"

"You know nothing!" Arianna snapped, she glared at Thorin,

"I had no choice,"

He scoffed at her, "There is always a choice,"

"No," Arianna shook her head, "No, there wasn't. Not for me," she looked at the sombre faces of the company. She could see the judgement on their faces and she couldn't blame them,

"I don't know how best to explain it. Jared – the leader of the Kira Katil – it's like he has this special power. You only have to look at him and suddenly you find yourself agreeing to what he says. You do what he wants. Even though you tell yourself he is wrong you still do as he says. I believed anything he told me,"

"What did he tell you?" Kili asked quietly. Arianna noted he was still holding her hand. She leant her head back and shut her eyes,

"He said…he said I had no family. No one who loved me. No one who would try to find me. He said he was my family now and that only he appreciated me and accepted me. There was other stuff as well but…you get the idea. I believed everything that came out of his mouth,"

"So why did you leave?" Kili persisted. Arianna shrugged,

"Something…happened that broke his hold over me. I saw him for who he really was. Twenty years after working for him I managed to escape when everyone thought I was on a mission. I hid out for a few years before returning to Rivendell…my home," she wiped her eyes.

"And Jared just allowed you to leave did he?" Thorin raised an eyebrow. Arianna bit her lip,

"He sent people after me to try and capture me and bring me back. How I've managed to avoid them for so long is a mystery to me,"

Thorin nodded and Arianna smiled at Arwen weakly,

"Sorry for scaring you back then, _mellonnen._"

Arwen laughed before placing a kiss on Arianna's brow,

"It doesn't matter. You're alive_._" She rose to her feet and left the room. As the door shut behind her Arianna could feel a silence hang in the air. She looked over at the company,

"Why were you being nice to Arwen?"

"I was always nice!" Fili said indignantly. Arianna smiled,

"That was diplomatic nice. It's like she's your best friend all of a sudden,"

The dwarves shifted uncomfortably and when she saw the blushes ion their cheek, Arianna laughed,

"What?"

"Well…" Dwalin began, "She saved ye life lass. So we figured that….well maybe elves aren't so bad?"

Once again Arianna felt that familiar lump in her throat. Before she had a chance to hide her tears Balin began moving everyone away,

"Come on lads. Let her get some sleep,"

The dwarves began to leave and soon only Thorin, Fili and Kili were left. Arianna grinned at the blonde dwarf,

"Does Dwalin have a hidden sensitive side?"

Fili snorted with laughter. Thorin turned to Arianna and she was shocked to see him smile,

"Sleep well Arianna. We will be leaving in the morning so you'd better get some rest," she nodded as he left the room. Fili made to drag Kili away but his brother shook his head as Arianna settled down under the covers.

"Kili you need to get some rest," Fili hissed. Kili shook his head,

"I'll be fine. It's my turn anyway,"

Fili could tell his little brother wasn't going to back down. Shaking his head good naturedly he left the room. As the door swung shut Kili settled into the big chair and watched as Arianna's eyes shut. A tired smile crept onto his lips as he watched her fidget under the blanket. She was always at her most beautiful when she slept. All the toughness and hardness melted from her face to reveal the innocent person she really was. Kili laid his head back. Not that he had told Arianna that he watched her sleep. Somehow he didn't think she would appreciate it.

* * *

Arianna didn't know why she woke. She had been in the middle of a peaceful sleep – the first she'd had in days – when something inside her compelled her to open her eyes. Gently raising her head an inch from her pillow she saw the hunched figure of Kili in the chair. His eyes shut tight and his head resting on his arm. Arianna smiled as she looked at his clear skin, his dark hair. She felt that familiar feeling in her stomach as she looked at the dwarf prince. Arianna couldn't explain it. Every time she looked over at Kili, her stomach seemed to do at least one hundred somersaults and she had a feeling that she blushed whenever he looked over at her.

"Arianna,"

Her head snapped to the side and her hand slid under her pillow as she saw Fenian gazing at her face. Just the sight of him made Arianna's skin crawl and she didn't like the grip he had on her wrist. He stroked her hand with his thumb,

"When they said you were alive," he whispered, "I couldn't believe it,"

"Fenian…what are you doing here?" Arianna tried to take back her wrist but the elf's grip tightened. It was only by a small amount but it was enough for her to whip out a long thin dagger from under her pillow. Fenian's face clouded with anger,

"Arianna…"

"Let go of me," she hissed, giving Kili a sideways glance. The dwarf was still asleep. Fenian followed her gaze and smiled sweetly at her,

"Such devotion," he raised her hand to his lips before letting go of her. Arianna's breath caught in her throat. She had always noticed the way Fenian had looked at her. As though she were nothing more than a slab of meat on a table. An object that was his to own and play with. Keeping the knife levelled at him she slowly got out of bed. Her body still ached from the effects of the poison.

"What do you want Fenian?"

"I needed to see you…alone," He stepped towards her; backing her into the wall. Arianna gripped her knife and aimed it at the elf's throat. However he ignored her actions and leaned forward, caressing her face,

"Such beauty," he whispered in her ear, "Yet such evil lies behind it,"

Arianna opened her mouth. However, with one swift movement Fenian grabbed her by the neck with one hand whilst forcing her left arm against the wall with such force that she dropped the dagger.

"Did you think I wouldn't find out about you're dirty little secret," he hissed menacingly, "Did you honestly think I was that stupid? People talk Arianna. It didn't take me long to find out about where you had been for those twenty years,"

Arianna swallowed, "Fenian get off me,"

The elf shook his head, his gaze turning to the knife marks that marred her arm,

"Did you think hurting yourself would serve as atonement? Did you think that if you gave yourself enough scars you would be able to free yourself from the guilt you carry around inside you?"

Arianna found herself unable to say anything. She looked over Fenian's shoulder at Kili. How had he not woken up by now? His hearing was better than hers. Fenian followed her gaze and smirked,

"Don't think your devoted protector will be able to save you this time,"

"What have you done to him?" she hissed. Fenian chuckled,

"I haven't killed him my dear. I merely gave him something to help him sleep for a while."

Arianna struggled against the elf's grip but Fenian held her firm, "Jared was right. You are more trouble than you're worth,"

Arianna's blood froze. Only members of the Kira Katil knew the actual name of its leader. Fenian grinned as she gazed at him,

"Have you worked it out yet? Did you not think it was a coincidence that you were attacked by the hidden passage? You were meant to come to Rivendell. Jared knew you would never suspect an elf of being your enemy. Even one you've despised such as me," he tightened his grip on her neck, "I admit I was annoyed when you survived the poison. But I will enjoy this much more,"

As his grip tightened Arianna fought desperately to be free. She looked in to his eyes. His usually sharp pupils seemed less focused, he had almost a glazed expression and her heart stopped beating as she realised what had happened. Arianna pushed against Fenian as he leaned towards her,

"_Amin feuya ten' lle" _he hissed. Arianna gritted her teeth and brought her knee up, driving it into his stomach. Fenian doubled over and she pushed him away. In any other situation, Arianna would have tried to attack or even run away. However she was still suffering the effects of the poison and her movements were slow and sluggish. She tried to move past Fenian when he grabbed her by the hair and threw her to the floor. Trapping her body with his knees he put both hands round her neck and began to choke the life from her. Arianna writhed in his grip and as his grip tightened she could see the figure of Kili start to stir. Arianna opened her mouth to call out but all that came out was a hoarse gasp. She looked up into Fenian's face as spots began to form in front of her eyes. Suddenly a blurred figure threw Fenian away from her and Arianna turned onto her side. Her hand reached for her neck as she coughed violently. Looking up she saw Kili holding the elf against the wall, his own hands round Fenian's neck,

"Kili don't!" she tried to say but her voice was still hoarse and she knew he hadn't heard her. She tried to get up when she fell to the floor again. Kili meanwhile, gripped Fenian hard,

"Give me one could reason why I shouldn't rip you apart," he growled savagely. Behind him the door burst open and Fili, Gloin and Oin ran in. Fili ran to his brother and tore him away from the elf. Kili struggled against his brother and Fili held him tightly as he saw the murderous look in Kili's eyes,

"Kili what happened?" he yelled as both Oin and Gloin levelled their weapons at Fenian, who had sunk to a heap on the floor,

"That bastard…" Kili spat, "He was trying to kill Arianna!"

As he said this Kili realised he had completely forgotten about Arianna. He turned to see her lying on her side, her skin pale. Pushing Fili away he knelt beside her and pulled her towards him. As she rested her head against his chest he pushed her hair aside and saw her neck was covered in red finger marks. Guilt consumed him immediately. Arianna pulled gently on his hair and her eyes flickered open,

"Thank you," she rasped, "He was…was too strong…for me. I couldn't…couldn't fight him off,"

She shut her eyes and Kili held her close. He didn't deserve her thanks. It was his fault that she had been attacked in the first place. Because of him she had almost been killed. Arianna gently nudged him and he stepped back, allowing her to get to her feet. She looked over at Fenian and as she moved towards the elf Kili instantly reached for his sword. If that elf made a single move in her direction…

"Lower your axe Gloin," Arianna muttered. The dwarf stared at her in shock,

"But he just tried to kill you!"

"He didn't know he was doing it," she sighed, "Jared manipulated him into thinking it was the right thing to do,"

"Aye but even so…" Gloin lowered his axe but kept it wavering in Fenian's direction. Fili rubbed his eyes,

"We'd should fetch Lord Elrond," he said. Arianna nodded as the door opened and Lindir stood there. Arianna could tell by his weary face that he had been woken by all the shouting. He glanced at Fenian,

"What's happened? Arianna are you alright?" he pointed to the marks on her neck and she shook her head,

"He tried to kill Arianna," Fili stepped forward, he had a feeling he was the best person to handle the situation. Lindir's eyes widened and he snapped his fingers. As two elf guards led Fenian away Arianna touched Lindir's arm,

"He was tricked into it Lindir. Believe me,"

He nodded and put an arm round her, "Get some sleep my lady,"

"Aye that sounds like a good idea," Oin called out. His brother nodded in agreement and the two bowed to Arianna before leaving the room. Arianna quickly glanced at Fili and Kili before turning away from them and getting back into bed. Her fingers rubbed the marks left by Fenian and she shuddered. Somehow being strangled was far better than what she had thought was going to happen to her. Despite this, it took Arianna a while to go to sleep.

**Translations**

**Mellonnen, lle ier kuile – **My friend, you are awake!

**Amin feuya ten' lle - **You disgust me

_**Apologies for the abrupt ending to this chapter I just couldn't find the best way to end it. Also, I've worked out the problem with the scene breaks so for all those who were getting confused...problem solved! **__** Hope everyone enjoys this chapter regardless of the bad ending and always love to hear your thoughts.**_


	15. All Consuming Guilt

_**Big thanks to Lady Liberty- The First, LadySlytherin313, amphetamineR and diamondlilyflower for following me.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – my parents often do that when I'm in the middle of reading! Glad you liked the chapter.**_

All consuming guilt

_Jared's face was cold, unrelenting. Arianna didn't bother to struggle as she was forced into the chair that stood before her master. She moved her bound wrists about to try and find a small gap, a loose knot, something that she could undo. However her thoughts shifted as Jared grabbed her chin and forced her head up,_

"_I dislike failure. I dislike betrayal,"_

_Arianna's silence was rewarded with the back of Jared's hand striking her face. She gasped as the force from the blow sent both her and the chair to the floor. Clicking his fingers Jared stood there as his two bodyguards lifted Arianna to her feet. Jared stroked her face,_

"_Don't do any permanent damage," he instructed. The two men nodded. One held Arianna whilst the other faced her. She snarled at him before doubling over in pain as he side kicked her in the stomach. Without giving her the chance to draw breath he grabbed her face and punched her square in the jaw. Jared sat back and smiled as the two men savagely battered the young assassin. The blows they inflicted were calculated and precise - designed to inflict as much pain as possible without doing any long lasting damage. To her credit she didn't cry out. She didn't scream. In fact she made no sound at all. He frowned. This was supposed to be a punishment. He wanted to hear her scream. He wanted to see pain etched on her face. Raising his hand the two men stepped aside. They kept their grip on Arianna who hung limply in their arms. Jared grabbed her hair and pulled her head up. Her skin was covered in dark bruises, and blood from a split lip and a large cut above her eyebrow covered her face. He grabbed her by the neck, indicating for his bodyguards to leave. As the door swung shut behind them he threw Arianna to the floor. She cried out in pain as she landed on her bound hands. Jared drew out his knife and gripped her body with his knees, the blade lingering over her collarbone,_

"_You disappoint me Arianna. You must be punished,"_

_With a flick of his wrist he ripped her tunic open. Dropping the knife he grabbed her neck and leant forward,_

"_Do you think you will ever be accepted by others? Do you think those people out there will want to know a killer? A monster? You'll never belong anywhere except here,"_

_Arianna kicked out at him as he undid his trousers. She turned her head to one side. Tears running down her face. She screamed as he forced his way into her. _

* * *

Arianna eyes snapped open. Fresh tears coursing down her face. She looked down at her scar covered arm. She remembered sitting in her room. The knife in one hand, the blood running down her arm. Every single cut she had given herself that day was to stop the pain. To stop the torment. She had hoped that the physical pain would be able to drown out the mental agony. She should have died that night. By all rights Jared should have killed her. She still didn't know why he had let her live. Taking a shaking breath she realised that someone had draped their arm over her body. Slowly she turned her head and saw the face of Kili staring back at her. His eyes filled with worry. When he realised she was awake he hurriedly withdrew his arm and sat up,

"I…you were having a nightmare," he stammered, blushing madly, "You were hysterical. You couldn't stop crying and you were shouting "stop it," over and over again. I didn't know what else to do so…"

Arianna shook her head, "Thank you," she whispered as she turned over to face Kili. As she did so his gaze flew to her neck. All of a sudden he became stiff and rigid. Jumping off her bed he grabbed his coat and moved towards the door,

"Thorin wants us to leave at first light," he muttered before running from the room. Arianna frowned at Kili's odd behaviour. Her hand lingered over her neck and she caught sight of it in the mirror. The red finger marks had turned into hideous black bruises that covered almost her whole neck. She swallowed nervously as she pushed her blanket back and paced around the room. Fenian's attack had shown her that she would never ever be safe no matter where she went. Even staying behind in Rivendell was no longer an option. Arianna shook her head. Even if she could have stayed she wouldn't. She was a part of this quest; a part of the company. If they were going to see it through to the end then so would she.

"Arianna?"

Arianna turned to see Arwen standing in the doorway. To her surprise the elf was already dressed in a beautiful deep red gown. Her black hair spilling over her shoulders. Arianna managed a weak smile as Arwen took her hands,

"The dwarves plan to leave soon do they not?"

Arianna nodded before gripping her friend's hand tightly,

"Arwen please…don't try to stop us. This quest…they deserve a chance to reclaim their home,"

Arwen smiled sweetly and brushed Arianna's hair from her face,

"I wasn't going to stop you Arianna. I only came to give you this,"

She handed Arianna a large pack. When she opened it Arianna saw it filled with food and two water bottles. She smiled at her friend gratefully,

"Thank you," she embraced Arwen tightly,

"_Aa' menealle nauva calen ar' malta" _The elf whispered. Arianna nodded,

"_Namaarie mellonnen,"_ she whispered back. Arwen hugged her tightly one last time before leaving Arianna alone in her room as the early morning sun began to stream through the clouds. Rubbing her neck one last time she moved over to her wardrobe to try and fine something to replace her torn and blood stained travel clothes. In truth getting dressed should have only taken her a few minutes as the majority of clothes in her room were dresses. However, Arianna couldn't help but gently finger the soft silks and allow them to run through her hands. In the end however she knew she couldn't delay any longer and she picked out black trousers, dark brown boots and a dark green tunic. After making sure her scarred arm was fully covered Arianna grabbed the rest of her things and made her way towards the platform outside Rivendell's entrance where the rest of the company were waiting. As she jumped down the steps Arianna noticed most of the dwarves staring at her bruised neck. The lack of surprise on their faces meant they had been told about last night. Her eyes landed on Kili and to her surprise he stared back at her as though she didn't even exist. Frowning in confusion Arianna suddenly realised they were one short,

"Where's Gandalf?"

Thorin turned to her, "Gandalf has some…business to finish here. We'll meet him later on,"

Arianna paused as the rest of the company began to move away. Somehow Thorin's words didn't seem right. Gandalf had pushed this quest from the start. Why on earth would he want to stay behind?

* * *

Gandalf stood beside the beautiful form of the Lady Galadriel as the pair looked out at the dawn sky.

"You will follow them." It was more of a statement than a question. Gandalf nodded at Galadriel. He had started Thorin on this quest. The company, Bilbo and Arianna were all his responsibility. Galadriel smiled at her friend; her face radiating beauty,

"You are right to help Thorin Oakenshield. But I feel that this quest has set in motion forces we do not yet understand. The riddle of the Morgul blade must be answered. Something moves in the shadows, unseen, hidden from out view. It will not show itself, not yet. But every day it grows in strength. You must be careful."

Gandalf nodded and Galadriel stared at him carefully,

"Arianna's power, I can feel it growing inside her. You must help her to see it is a gift and not a curse. Otherwise I fear it will consume her,"

Gandalf sighed. He had brought Arianna on this quest in the hope of doing just that. He knew that if she could wield her power then she could be the one to help defeat the growing darkness. He turned to leave when he heard the lady call out to him,

"Mithrandir? Why the Halfling?"

"I don't know," Gandalf admitted, "Saruman believes that only great power can keep evil at bay. But that is not what I think. I think it is the small things, little acts of kindness that keep evil at bay. Why Bilbo Baggins? It is because I am afraid. And he gives me courage,"

Gandalf looked up to see Galadriel standing by him, holding his worn hands in hers. She caressed his skin gently,

"_Ae boe I le eliathon, im tulithon,"_ she whispered. Gandalf bowed in deference before looking up to find himself alone.

* * *

As the company made their way through the rocky paths that led from Rivendell, Bilbo turned to take one last look at Rivendell. It's beauty ever more apparent in the morning sun. He sighed wistfully. He could have stayed. Even now he wasn't quite sure why he had decided to carry on with the dwarves,

"Master Baggins. I suggest you keep up," Thorin barked behind him. Bilbo sighed as he turned around. Thorin allowed Balin to take the lead,

"We are about to step over the Edge of the Wilds. Balin you know these paths, lead on,"

As the company made their way forward Bilbo looked up to see Thorin glaring at him. His heart dampened and for a split second he was tempted to turn around and go back to Rivendell. However he noticed Arianna fall in step beside him. Ignoring her bruised neck he smiled at her,

"How are you?"

She shrugged, "Physically I'm fine,"

Bilbo nodded and watched as her gaze lingered on Kili's back. The dwarf had ignored Arianna's presence all morning and Bilbo could see it was hurting Arianna more than she cared to say. He watched as Fili turned round and gave an apologetic smile to Arianna who shrugged before turning back to Bilbo,

"I know you want to turn back," she whispered. Bilbo nodded,

"It feels so much like my home in Bag – End…only a much grander version,"

Arianna gave a wishful smile, "I know how you feel. I was tempted to stay myself,"

"Why didn't you?"

"Because these dwarves have a chance to get their home back," she faced Bilbo, "I would do anything to have that chance,"

Bilbo watched as she made her way forward, keeping her head down. He looked over to see Kili staring sadly at Arianna and then hurriedly looking away when she raised her head.

Over the next few days the company pushed further and further forward. The lands turned from rocks, to forest and then open grassland. Throughout their journey Arianna noted how Kili even refused to acknowledge her presence. She refused to let him see how much his actions were hurting her. She also noticed that the dwarves were taking it in turns to guard her at night. She hadn't said anything but when she woke up from a bad dream she would always see two of three of them sitting beside her. It was the same in the day. They would take it in turns to walk with her; always making sure they had a weapon at hand. Arianna wanted to tell them not to be so protective. She was an assassin after all. But there was something about their over protectiveness that stopped her. It was the smiles on their faces and the way they took care of her that brought a lump to her throat. They had made her feel like one of them right from the start. The fact that they were willing to risk themselves just for her…

"Ow!"

Arianna turned in time to see Bilbo trip over a rock that was hidden in the long grass. The dwarves laughed as he fell flat on his face. Arianna smiled to herself as she moved towards him and picked him up. Looking carefully at the hobbit she saw the tiredness in his eyes,

"It's a bit further than Frogmorton isn't it?"

Bilbo nodded and Arianna turned around and motioned for him to climb on to her back. Bilbo paused before scrambling up. Arianna shifted the hobbit in her grip before carrying on,

"Are you sure Thorin will mind?" Bilbo whispered. Arianna scowled,

"I'm making sure you don't fall behind. How can he moan at that?" she frowned, "Actually…it's Thorin. He'll find a way,"

Bilbo laughed at her comment and Arianna laughed with him. Despite her earlier thoughts, she was glad Bilbo had come with them. He might be the most unsuitable burglar imaginable. But even so he had a presence within the group that would be hard to replace.

"Miss Arianna?"

She looked to see Ori was walking beside them. Arianna oddly felt a pang of guilt. She hadn't really talked to Ori or his brothers much. In truth they kept to themselves mainly. As usual Ori was scribbling in his notebook and Arianna was desperate to know what he was writing,

"What is it that you're writing?" she asked innocently. Ori blushed and held the notebook to his chest. Arianna smiled,

"You don't have to tell me if it's private. But every time I see you you've got your head buried in that notebook,"

Ori smiled bashfully, "I'm writing about the quest. About the people we met, the…challenges we come across. That way future generation can read about this great adventure we're having."

"What have you written about me?" Arianna's curiosity was suddenly aroused. Ori flicked through the pages before reading aloud,

"I've said you're smart, as brave as any dwarf warrior, incredibly beautiful," his face went bright red as he said this and Arianna grinned,

"I'd like to read it one day Ori. Assuming we get out it alive,"

Ori nodded, "I'd like it if you could read it,"

Meanwhile, Bilbo's nose prickled as the feathers of Arianna's arrows brushed against his nose. He tried to hold it in but he could feel a huge sneeze coming on. Arianna turned her head to look at him sharply,

"If you even think about sneezing all over me Bilbo Baggins, I'm going to send you rolling down that huge hill we've just climbed."

Bilbo nodded and turned away just in time to let out a colossal sneeze. Arianna shook her head as Ori covered his mouth to avoid laughing. However, as the pair looked at each other they couldn't help it. Up in front the sound of laughter reached the ears of Fili and Kili. Kili raised his head but when he heard Arianna's voice he lowered it again. Fili rolled his eyes,

"Kili you've got to stop this. You can't pretend she doesn't exist all the way to Erebor,"

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Kili muttered childishly. Fili shook his head,

"Stop blaming yourself Kili. You weren't the one with your hands round her neck were you?" Kili shook his head and Fili nodded, "Stop wallowing in self-pity and just talk to her!"

"Why should I?" Kili hissed. The image floated into his mind again. Arianna's body flailing on the floor, the elf's hands round her neck. Kili shook his head,

"It was my fault that elf was even in her room,"

"Kili you were drugged!" A hint of anger laced Fili's voice at the thought of someone harming his little brother. He placed a comforting hand on Kili's shoulder,

"No one blames you for what happened. Arianna certainly doesn't. She said it herself. You saved her life,"

Kili nodded to himself. It still didn't make him feel better. The fact that someone had laid their hands on Arianna was bad enough. The fact that he had let it happen was almost unbearable. Fili looked back at Arianna before nudging his brother,

"She lied to us you know,"

Kili frowned and Fili nodded,

"Those men were never sent to capture her. They were sent to kill her,"

Kili stopped in his tracks, the blood drained from his face, "But...why…what makes you think so?"

"In the space of a few short weeks she's been shot, poisoned and strangled. Those incidents weren't coincidences. They're related,"

Kili allowed his brothers words to sink in. He had forgotten about the mysterious archer that had shot Arianna. The more he thought about it the more he realised Fili was right,

"But why lie? Why not tell us?"

Fili smiled, "Because she doesn't want us to worry about her. She thinks that by keeping us in the dark she's keeping us safe,"

Kili nodded. He knew that each and every member of this company would protect each other with their lives. Arianna was one of them and so the same standard of devotion applied to her as well. He took another look at her. She was laughing at something Ori had said and his heart tugged. How could she laugh knowing she had trained killers hunting her?

"Should we tell the others?" he whispered. Fili grinned,

"You've seen the way they guard her. I think they've worked it out themselves. They aren't stupid after all."

* * *

Arianna set Bilbo back on the ground as the land turned from grassland to mountains. The rocky pathway soon became so narrow that they had to travel in single file and Arianna found herself behind Fili. She tapped him on the shoulder and he gave her a smile,

"I'm sorry about my brother," he whispered; not wanting Kili to hear. Arianna nodded,

"He blames himself doesn't he?"

Fili nodded, "I've never seen him want to kill someone so badly. I almost wish I'd let him do it,"

"I'm glad you didn't," Arianna said, "He'd never be able to forgive himself,"

Fili nodded before turning to see Kili staring at the pair. He smiled at Fili but when Arianna opened her mouth to tell him something he quickly turned and quickened his pace. Fili looked back to see Arianna's eye fill with tears. He squeezed her arm,

"Don't worry. He'll soon come round," he grinned, "He'll have to if we ever want the wedding to take place,"

"What?" Arianna blushed and Fili winked at her before heading after his brother. Arianna's mind tumbled over the dwarf's words and she shook her head. However, she couldn't stop Fili's words running round in her mind. Making her way along the narrow path Arianna looked at the figure of the dark haired dwarf. She cared for Kili. She cared for all of the company - even Thorin. But there was something about Kili that just made him far more…special. She thought over Fili's words.

Did Kili care for her in that way?

Arianna had no idea how she was supposed to react to any of this. Her past had meant that she had refused to get involved with anyone so as not to risk their lives. Shaking her head Arianna bit her lip. No matter how she felt about Kili she wouldn't act on her feelings. If Kili were to get hurt because of her past then Arianna would never be able to forgive herself. Arianna pulled her cloak hood up, looking up she saw the dark, foreboding shapes of the mountains as the sky darkened and the rain began to pour.

**Translations**

**Aa' menealle nauva calen ar' malta – **May your ways be green and golden

**Namaarie mellonnen – **Farewell my friend

**Ae boe I le eliathon, im tulithon – **If you should ever need my help, I will come

_**Bit of a filler chapter here I'm afraid but no matter because next up….STONE GIANTS! As always would love to hear people thoughts and opinions, especially on the developing relationship between Kili and Arianna as I'm a bit unsure about how it's coming across.**_


	16. Battle of Giants

_**Big thanks to LittleDixie, and trust brings pain for following me. **_

_**Bunny's daughter – I feel very honoured to know the first thing you did when you woke up was checked to see if I had updated. Glad you're liking the relationship between Kili and Arianna and hopefully you won't be disappointed.**_

Battle of Giants

As the company forced their way along the high pass that ran throughout the misty mountains the thunderstorm that had erupted in the sky above them seemed determined to force them back. Arianna's hair was plastered to her face and her hands kept slipping on the rocks she grabbed at with her left hand. She didn't dare look to her right – the knowledge of the sheer drop was enough for her. She kept as close as possible to Fili whilst making sure that Bilbo was safe behind her. Daring to lift her head she could just about see Thorin driving his axe into the ground in order to brace his body against the wind,

"We must find shelter!" he roared, his voice almost lost in the wind. Arianna gripped at her cloak with one hand. Not to keep her dry as she was already soaked to the skin; but to stop it flailing about in the wind and obscure her vision even more. Behind her she heard Bilbo cry out and she flung her arm out to grab the Hobbit and pull him away from the edge. Looking down she saw the narrow pass was starting to crumble and her stomach lurched at the thought of plunging several thousand feet to her death.

"WATCH OUT!" Thorin yelled. Arianna looked to see a giant boulder crash into the mountain slope above them. She clung onto Fili's shoulder and reached behind to make sure Bilbo had something to hold onto as well.

"This isn't a thunderstorm!" Balin got to his feet, "It's a thunder battle. Look!"

Everyone followed the dwarf's finger in time to see a huge figure breaking free from the mountain. Behind her Arianna saw Bofur get to his feet. His face one of fear and awe,

"Bless me," he cried, "The legends are true. Giants! Stone Giants!"

"Brilliant Bofur!" Arianna screamed, "We can all die happy now we know bedtime stories are real,"

"We need to find shelter!" Thorin pushed his way forward as the stone giant pulled yet another large boulder and threw it towards the huddled dwarves. As it crashed above them – showering them with debris – Arianna could feel the ground beneath her shake and crumble. Looking over at Fili she saw a large gap was starting to form in the pass - separating him from Kili.

"Kili grab my hand!" Fili reached out in desperation but as the gap grew wider Arianna held him back. He tried to shrug her off but she kept her grip,

"He never would have made it," she whispered – her lips brushing against his ear so he could hear her. Fili nodded as he looked over at his younger brother who was being pulled further and further away. Arianna looked up into Kili's terrified face.

_I'll look after him_ she tried to tell him with her eyes. She had no idea if he understood because once again the pass began to shake. Grabbing hold of Fili and Bilbo, Arianna's cries were mixed in with the cries of the remaining dwarves as their part of the mountain soon transformed into the leg of another stone giant. As it moved forward Arianna saw the look of horror on the faces of the dwarves who had managed to jump from their stone giant onto a far more secure part of the path. She clung onto Fili's hand as a boulder smashed into the stone giants head, knocking it from its body. Her stomach lurched as the head fell into the dark chasm below and as she looked up she found herself pitching forward towards a wall of sheer rock. Shutting her eyes she prayed it would be quick when she was furiously pushed forward onto the safety of the pass. Arianna turned to see who it was when something large collided with her and all she knew was darkness.

* * *

Meanwhile, the first few dwarves who had been lucky enough to escape the stone giant looked on in horror as the body of the giant that had carried their friends fell away into darkness,

"FILI!" Thorin screamed. Kili was close behind his uncle as the dwarves raced forward to see what had become of their friends yet dreading the result.

"It's alright! Their alive!" Balin cried out as Thorin and Kili turned to see the rest of the company in one huge heap. Pushing past his uncle Kili pulled his brother to his feet and enveloped him,

"I'm alright Kee," Fili ruffled his brother's hair. Kili grinned before his eyes widened in horror as he found no sign of Arianna,

"Where is she?" he grabbed his brother by the shoulders, "Did she…" he couldn't bring himself to say it. Fili shook his head,

"She couldn't have fallen. I pushed her onto the pass myself,"

Kili looked around him as the rest of the dwarves got to their feet. She _had _to be here. He ran a hand over his face in despair when Bombur suddenly gave a high pitch yell. Kili frowned before he recognized a familiar boot sticking out from under the fat dwarf,

"Can somebody please get this bloody dwarf off me?" Arianna's shouts were muffled and several of the dwarfs laughed amongst themselves as they worked together to get Bombur to his feet whilst Gloin pulled Arianna up. She brushed herself down and managed a wan smile. Fili clapped her on the shoulder and Kili moved forward to when he saw the fading bruises on her neck. He bit his lip and turned away. Fully aware of the hurt in Arianna's eyes.

"Bilbo? Where's the hobbit?"

Arianna glared frostily at Kili before pushing past Bofur to see Bilbo clinging onto the edge of the pass. His eye's filled with terror and she could tell he wasn't going to be able to hold on much longer.

"Gloin, Oin!" she yelled. The two dwarves held onto her by one arm as she got down on her knees and leaned out to Bilbo. Her gaze drifted downwards and she could feel her stomach churning as she looked at the nothingness below her. Shaking her head her fingers grabbed hold of one of Bilbo's hands. She tried to pull him up when she could feel the ground beneath her crumble and break away. A large chunk of rock fell and the dwarves gasped in shock as she fell forward. Gloin and Oin kept their grip and Arianna could feel her shoulder being pulled from its socket. Her own hands were wet and she could feel her grip on Bilbo slipping. Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement. She looked on as Thorin swung down and helped her to pull Bilbo up and onto the pass. Dwalin leaned forward as Thorin's own grip slipped and he pulled Thorin to safety. Arianna held Bilbo close to her; she could feel his body shaking and she hugged him tightly,

"It's okay," she whispered, "You're okay,"

"For a second, I thought we'd lost out burglar," Dwalin said. Arianna saw Thorins gaze and her arms tightened around Bilbo,

"He's been lost, ever since he came," Thorin spat, "He should never have come. He has no place amongst us,"

As he turned Arianna suddenly found herself filled with pure hatred. As the company began to make their way into a large cave that had several tunnels leading off she grabbed Thorin's shoulder and spun him round,

"How dare you?" she yelled, not caring that the rest of the company had stopped to watch. Thorin glared at her,

"I don't recall asking for your opinion,"

"Well you're getting it anyway. How can you say those things about Bilbo? If that was Fili, or Kili, or anyone else back there you would never have said those words. Why on earth should Bilbo be subject to abuse? Bilbo is a valid member of this company! He has been from the very beginning! He's offered us hospitality even though he didn't want to. He saved us from being eaten by trolls!"

"It was the same Bilbo Baggins that got us into that mess," Thorin growled. Arianna shook her head,

"Well at least he tried to do something about it. I didn't see you doing anything! Just because Bilbo isn't a dwarf or a warrior you see fit to treat him differently. All throughout this journey he has gone out of his way to show you that he isn't a burden and all the time you belittle him and make him feel like an outcast. He is one of the most loyal people I've met and…"

"You dare mention loyalty?" Thorin barked. Arianna titled her chin up as the dwarf king took a step towards her. Anger clear on his face. She could hear the rest of the company back away slowly. Thorin looked at her in disgust,

"What right have you to talk to me about loyalty? You seem to forget that you are nothing more than a worthless assassin. You worked for those who took you from your family. You do not understand what loyalty is," he hissed.

Arianna blinked back her forthcoming tears. Ignoring the rest of the dwarves she stalked over to a corner of the cave and sat down beside Bilbo. Thorin watched her go before turning back to the others,

"No fires. Not in this place," he said as Gloin dropped a pile of wood on the ground, "We leave at first light. Bofur, you take the first watch. The rest of you, get some sleep,"

"We were supposed to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan." Balin whispered to Thorin, who shrugged,

"Plans change,"

* * *

As the rest of the company lay down to sleep Arianna squeezed Bilbo's hand. He smiled at her,

"Thank you. For standing up to Thorin,"

"Anytime Bilbo," Arianna could still see the doubt in the hobbit face,

"He's isn't right you know. Just because Thorin is the leader of this company, it doesn't mean that everything he says is right,"

She found Bilbo watching her in earnest. She raised an eyebrow,

"What is it?"

"Nothing," he shook his head, "You've…changed. You're not the same person I met in Bag – End. That's a compliment by the way," he quickly added. Arianna shrugged,

"I think everyone's going to change on this journey Bilbo,"

The Hobbit sighed despondently, "Not me," he muttered quickly. He turned to Arianna,

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Well that depends on what the secret is,"

Bilbo leaned forward, "I'm going to leave. As soon as the storm clears,"

"Bilbo you can't!" Arianna was surprised at how sad she sounded. Looking around to make sure no one was listening she grabbed Bilbo's hand,

"You can't leave!" she hissed, "Thorin was wrong when he said those things about you,"

"It's not about that," Bilbo reassured her. However Arianna could tell he was lying and he sighed,

"Okay so maybe it is…a little. But I'm not cut out for adventures and quests. I can't face off against a dragon or an orc pack. Thorin's right…I am just a burden,"

Arianna shook her head to hear these words come from Bilbo's mouth. However he simply smiled at her and opened his arms out for a hug. Pulling him close Arianna kissed him on the top of the head,

"I envy you so much Bilbo Baggins,"

His eyes popped at her, "You envy me?"

Arianna nodded, "Your life back in the Shire. Quiet and peaceful. No one has any worries. I missed out on all of that,"

Bilbo smiled at her sympathetically and took her head,

"But look at the life you have now. You wouldn't be the person you are now if those Orcs hadn't done what they did,"

"Sometimes I lie there, looking up at the sky," Arianna said. A hint of sadness lacing her voice,

"And I wonder if that wouldn't have been such a bad thing," she held up one finger to Bilbo, "One thing. One small action was all it took and my life was thrown down a different path. I didn't get a choice in the matter,"

"What sort of life were you meant to have then?"

Arianna stared across the cavern at the bodies of the sleeping dwarves. Bofur sat in a small alcove puffing his pipe and Arianna could tell his eyes were shut. She looked over at where Fili and Kili slept. The latter had his back to her. She laid her head back against the cavern walls and looked over at Bilbo who had gotten his own pipe out. She sighed,

"I don't know. When I was younger I used to imagine them. My family. I would pretend that nothing had happened. I was going to see them again soon and carry on with my life. I'd have friends who weren't elves but were human like me. My mother would be there for me when I was upset. My father would play games with me. I'd fight with my younger brother and sister but we'd always be best friends. I'd grow up. Meet my own fairy tale prince" she sighed sadly; her gaze never leaving Kili, blissfully unaware that he was awake and was listening to her voice with sorrow in his eyes.

"What about children?" Bilbo piped up. Arianna's smile faded slightly,

"I never got that far. Because I'd always remember that they were gone. I was never going to go back to them. No one was there to comfort me or play games with me. I had no brothers or sisters to fight with. No fairy tale prince" she got to her feet,

"Excuse me," she muttered. Tears formed in her eyes as she ran from the cavern and down one of the tunnels. Bilbo watched her go. For a second he was tempted to go after her. However, his eyes caught the form of Kili getting to his feet. They both shared a glance before the dwarf prince ran after Arianna. Bilbo unrolled his blanket and wrapped it around him. He would need sleep if he was going to be able to make the journey back to Rivendell.

* * *

Arianna threw herself against the rocks that marked the dead end of the tunnel. Pounding her fist against their sharp edges she ignored the blood that ran down her hand as tears blurred her vision,

"Arianna?"

Within seconds her knife was out. Whirling round she found herself looking into the face of Kili, her knife brushing the end of his nose. Sheathing it slowly she looked into his face. This was the first time since Rivendell that he had even so much as looked in her direction. Fresh tears fell down her face as she collapsed against Kili. She burrowed her head into his shoulder, crying out with agonising rage. Kili gently put his arms round her shaking body and stroked her hair; doing his best to soothe her. The pair of them sat there on the sand covered floor for a few minutes. The only sound that could be heard was Arianna's muffled sobs. Pushing her hair back she moved away from Kili and wiped her face with the back of her hand. She hadn't noticed the blood and it streaked across her face. Kili's eyes widened and he grabbed her hand,

"What happened?" he whispered as he brought out a cloth and began to bind the wound as Arianna used her own handkerchief to clean her face. She shook her head as she tried to stop her uncontrollable crying. However it only resulted in more tears. Kili took her face in his hands,

"Arianna…"

"Why did they have to die?" she shouted, her eyes blazing with fire, "Why? They were innocent people, all of them! They didn't deserve to die at the hands of Orcs!"

Kili didn't know what to say. His own father had died when he and Fili were young. But he'd been too young to remember it. Besides, he'd had Fili and their mother and Thorin who had become their father. But Arianna had no one left. Kili couldn't imagine ever having to watch Fili die and his heart went out to Arianna as he thought of what she must have had to go through at such a young age. He pushed stray strands of hair away from her tear streaked face as the crying slowly subsided. Sitting against the rocky walls he put his arm around Arianna and drew her towards him so that she was leaning against his chest. She was still crying although it was far more controlled now,

"Don't cry Arianna," he whispered, "I can't bear it,"

"I suppose you think I'm hypocritical," she whispered, "I was an assassin. I killed people for money without a second thought,"

"It's no different from killing someone in battle," Kili didn't know what else to say to her. Instead he just held her tightly. Arianna sniffed,

"Only the people I killed. They weren't innocent. They had killed, they were corrupt, evil. The world was a better place without them."

"Arianna you don't have to justify anything to me," Kili reassured her and she shrugged,

"What about Thorin? How long do I have to keep on justifying my past for him?"

Kili sighed, "He should never have said those things to you. It was wrong. He was wrong and he knows it,"

"I'm surprised you don't agree with him," she whispered. Kili looked at her, hurt filling his eyes,

"Why would you think that?"

She sat up and fixed him with a glance, "Kili this is the first time you've spoken to me in over a week. You haven't even acknowledged my existence since we left Rivendell."

Kili nodded guiltily. He wanted to explain his actions. The fact that he was so consumed with guilt for what had happened to her he had decided that his best bet was to just stay away from her. Instead he simply hugged her and whispered,

"I'm sorry for how I acted. It was childish of me,"

"Apology accepted," Arianna smiled at him. The small action warmed Kili's heart. It had been so long since he'd seen that beautiful smile.

"I understand how Bilbo feels you know,"

Arianna narrowed her eyes at him, "You? You know what it's like to feel like you don't belong? Kili you're a prince!"

Kili shrugged, "Maybe so. But…as far as dwarves go I don't belong. Dwarves are supposed to be short and stocky. Their meant to have beards and fight with huge axes. I'm none of that. I'm lean and tall…well taller. I don't have a beard and I use a bow instead of an axe," Kili sighed, "Not really much of a catch am I?"

Sadness filled Arianna's eyes as he said this. She wanted to say something comforting to him. But instead she simply whispered,

"Rubbish,"

"What?" Kili blushed but his face was starting to smile. Arianna nodded fiercely,

"Kili you are easily the best looking dwarf out of this whole company. Fili doesn't have much of a beard either. He just has that poncy moustache of his," Kili snorted at this and she grinned,

"Besides, I seem to remember your bow being rather helpful when we were attacked by that orc pack,"

Kili smirked at her, "You think I'm good looking?"

Arianna blushed, "Well…when I said good looking…"

Kili grinned cheekily at her although he knew he to, was blushing slightly. He took her hand in his; interlocking their fingers absentmindedly,

"Dwarves have a One, a hrun." he said. Arianna nodded. She'd heard about this before and opened her mouth when Kili placed a finger against her lips,

"It's incredibly rare for a dwarf to ever find their One. I used to imagine what mine would be like,"

"What would she be like?" Arianna was unsure of what to do. Kili's grip on her hand tightened although with affection and not force. He grinned shyly at her,

"She's got this fire in her eye that ignites whenever she fights. Outside she's tough and thick skinned but in reality she's caring to everyone around her and will always put other people first," he winked at her, "And she's so beautiful,"

Arianna swallowed nervously as Kili's thumb gently stroked her palm. He inched forward – closing the distance between them and she quickly pulled her hand out of his. Kili frowned at her as she scrambled to her feet,

"I'm sorry…I…I need to get back,"

Without giving Kili a chance to reply she turned on her heel and fled from the tunnel. Her knees shook slightly but she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. Wiping the forthcoming tears away Arianna swore under her breath. She had almost allowed Kili to know that she felt the same way as he did.

And she couldn't do that if she wanted him to be safe.

* * *

Fili watched as first Arianna and then later on Kili re-entered the main cavern. None of the others had woken up and apart from Bofur, only Fili was aware of what was happening. He watched as Arianna silently lay back on the cavern floor beside Bilbo and Fili frowned as Kili sat down beside him, his usual cheery smile gone,

"What happened?" Fili whispered. Kili shrugged and as his little brother lowered his head Fili put an arm round his shoulder,

"Kili what happened?"

"I think love her," Kili whispered in Fili's ear. Fili's eyes widened and he looked at the sadness on Kili's face,

"Are you sure?"

Kili nodded and Fili looked over at the sleeping form of Arianna,

"So…why are you upset?"

His brother's answer wasn't a surprise for Fili,

"Because…what if she doesn't have those same feelings?" Kili asked, "What if I open up to her and she rejects me like the others?"

Fili sighed softly – remembering the occasions when he'd found Kili crying because his feelings for a woman hadn't been reciprocated. Fili shook his head; Kili had always been the more sensitive one of the two and often took peoples comments to heart. If Arianna rejected him… Fili wasn't sure if Kili would be able to take it.

* * *

The cavern was deathly silent as Bilbo opened his eyes. The sleeping figure of Arianna didn't move as he got to his feet and rolled his blanket into his pack. He gently traced a lock of her hair in his fingers for a few seconds before picking up his walking stick and stepping over the sleeping figures of the dwarves,

"Hey? Where do ye think ye're going?"

Bilbo looked up to see Bofur standing beside him. The dwarf looked crestfallen as he saw Bilbo's pack,

"Back to Rivendell," Bilbo said tiredly. Bofur shook his head,

"Ye can't turn back now! Ye're part of the company! Ye one of us!"

But I'm not though am I?" Bilbo could feel tears pricking in his eyes as he said this, "Thorin said I should never have come an he's right,"

"Bilbo!" Both the hobbit and the dwarf turned to see Arianna getting to her feet. She swung her bow onto her back and grabbed her own pack,

"What are you doing?" she glared at the hobbit, who simply shrugged,

"I'm not a Took, I'm a Baggins. I should never have run out my front door,"

"Ye're homesick," Bofur said in an attempt to be helpful, "I understand,"

"No you don't! None of you do, you're dwarves!" Bilbo snapped, "You're used to this life, always living on the road, never settling in one place, not belonging anywhere!"

He trailed off as Bofur's face fell. Bilbo shook his head,

"Look I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"No ye're right," Bofur mumbled as he looked around at his friends, "We don't belong anywhere,"

Bilbo looked at Arianna, who shouldered her pack as Bofur smiled at the hobbit,

"I wish you all the luck in the world. I really do,"

Bilbo nodded and turned to go when he saw Arianna follow him. He opened his mouth but she cut him off,

"I'm not going with you," she whispered, "But you'll never find your way in the dark. I'm going to make sure you get off this blasted mountain in one piece," she turned to Bofur with a reassuring smile, "I'll be back so fast they won't even know I'm gone,"

But Bofur wasn't listening. Instead his gaze was on Bilbo's sword,

"What's that?"

Bilbo looked down to see a bright blue glow emitting from his blade. He pulled it out and the light shone in the cavern. The three looked at each other in horror as a loud booming sound could be heard beneath their feet. Large cracks began to appear in the sand and Arianna gripped the hilt of her sword,

"Wake up!"

They turned to see Thorin jump to his feet, "All of you wake up!"

Arianna looked into Kili's worried face before the ground gave way beneath them and the company plunged into darkness.

* * *

The dwarves fell in one long line down a rickety chute, landing in a large round cage that stood that the end of a wooden path. As they landed one on top of the other loud grunts and groans could be heard from nearly every member of the company. Arianna had been the last the fall and so she landed on top. She groaned loudly as her newly healed ribs began to ache again. Hearing this, Kili pulled her towards him,

"I'm fine," she reassured him as he gazed into her face worriedly. He looked past her shoulder and his eyes widened and he wrapped a protective arm around her waist. Arianna followed his gaze and her stomach dropped as she saw a large group of foul smelling creature running towards them,

"Goblins," she hissed as the creatures reached for her.

_**So then…I bet you all thought they were going to kiss didn't you? Also, don't hate Thorin too much for his words. Next up…Goblin Town!**_


	17. Into Darkness

_**So then…Goblin Town at last! Once again big thanks for the support I've been receiving so far. Over 4,000 views!**_

_**Celebrisilweth – I couldn't bear the tension between those two any longer – they had to make up.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – Sorry for the teasing in that chapter. **_

_**Ec1aire – I'm glad I made you want to cry (I mean that in a good way I promise)**_

Into Darkness

As the goblins began grabbing and pulling at the dwarves Arianna found herself being dragged away from the group by her hair. Twisting in the goblins grip she punched it squarely in the face,

"Get off me!"

The goblin who had grabbed her slapped her round the face, "Ooh she's a feisty one isn't she?"

Arianna could hear Kili yelling with rage as another goblin hooked its long spindly fingers into her hair whilst another grabbed her wrist. Arianna kicked out but the goblin avoided her attack and struck her again.

"Don't you dare touch her!" Kili roared as he and the rest of the company were forced along the wooden bridge. The whole company were furiously trying to free themselves from their captors grip, but more and more goblins kept coming at them from nowhere. As they were pushed along more ramshackle bridges Arianna saw a small figure crawling away on his hands and knees,

"Bilbo," she whispered under her breath. A fat goblin beside her elbowed her in the head,

"Shut up!" it hissed, baring its rotten teeth into her face, as both she and the other dwarves were pushed forward. She pressed her hands to her ears as she heard the sound of clanging metal and cracking whips above her. The yelling of the goblins began to subside as a booming voice called out,

"I feel a song coming on."

The dwarves began looking round in horror as the voice began to choke out a tune,

"_Snip, snap, the black crack,_

_Grip, grab, pinch and nab!_

_Batter and beat_

_Milk em, stammer and squeak!_

_Pound, pound, far underground._

_Down, down, down in Goblin Town!"_

All around them the goblins echoed the last line as the company were pushed onto a large wooden platform. Arianna could see the back of Kili's head in front of her. The goblins kept a tight grip on her and she could feel her flesh bruising from their paws. A fierce shove from Gloin sent the goblins sprawling and Arianna couldn't deny the fact that she was glad when Gloin shoved her into the middle of the group – keeping both her and Thorin hidden from view.

"_With a swish and a smack,_

_And a whip and a crack,_

_Nobody talks when they're on our racks!_

_Pound, pound, far underground_

_Down, down, down in Goblin Town!_

_Hammer and torch, get your knockers and gongs,_

_You won't last long on the end of my prongs!_

_Clish, clash, crush and smash_

_Bang, break, shiver and shake_

_You can yell and yelp but their ain't no help_

_Pound, pound far underground_

_Down, down, down in Goblin TOWN!"_

The Goblins held their high pitched note as the dwarves tried to huddle together whilst the goblins surrounded them. As the company pushed and shoved, Kili found himself standing beside Arianna. Although he was still confused over her actions backs in the cave, his eyes filled with anger as he saw her swollen cheek. The goblins began grabbing at the company, relieving them of their weapons and throwing them into a pile before them. Arianna watched as her sword and bow were thrown onto the top of the pile. However her gaze was slowly drawn upwards and her mouth dropped open as she saw the biggest goblin she had ever imagined. A crown made of bones perched on his head and his stomach was so large that it brushed against the platform. Arianna gripped Kili's hand tightly, her stomach churning at the warts and boils that covered the goblins huge face.

"Catchy isn't it?" He jeered, "It's one of my own compositions,"

"That's not a song," Balin yelled, "It's an abomination!" the dwarves began to nod and shout in agreement

"Abominations, mutations, deviations… That's all you'll find down here," the goblin king smirked. Stepping down on a small pile of goblins that sat by his throne the king glared at the dwarves,

"Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom? Spies? Thieves? Assassins?"

"_Well."_ Arianna thought to herself.

"Dwarves your malevolence," one goblin cackled.

"Dwarves?" The Goblin king glared at the silent dwarves before cracking a sick smile,

"Well don't just stand there. Search them!"

Arianna was suddenly ripped away from Kili by two goblins. As she looked around she saw the others were receiving the same treatment whilst the king barked out orders,

"Every crack! Every crevice!"

The dwarves own personal possessions were thrown onto the weapons pile. Oin's ear trumpet was thrown to the floor where a goblins foot flattened it. A large clatter came from Nori, who was looking sheepishly at the silverware that had been pulled from his pockets,

"Just a couple of keepsakes," he shrugged. The goblin king picked up a silver candelabra,

"Made in Rivendell," he sneered before tossing it aside, "Second age…couldn't give it away."

Arianna gave death glares to the goblins who had grabbed her. She tried to push them away but more and more restrained her whilst one pulled her necklace from her neck and tossed it behind them. She yelled with anger as that same goblin then tried to stuff its hand down the front of her shirt. Seeing this Kili threw him forward and delivered a fierce kick to the goblins head whilst standing in front of Arianna protectively and punching anything that tried to grope at her. Once the king was sure that his prisoners were clean he snapped his fingers and the goblins slowly retreated. Arianna growled at one that still held her wrist,

"Touch me again and I'll carve you into so many pieces it'll take you forever to find them all,"

As the goblin backed away Kili pushed her behind him. He couldn't help but feel a swell of pride as she said those words and he gripped her wrist protectively.

"What are you doing in these parts?" The king leered over the cluster of dwarves. None of them seemed inclined to answer and instead they fixed both the king and the goblins with harsh looks.

"Speak!" the king roared. Out of the corner of her eye Arianna saw Thorin move forward. However, Oin pushed him back and stepped out to face the huge goblin,

"Don't worry lads. I'll handle this," Oin smiled at the company.

"No tricks," the goblin kings warned and Oin frowned slightly,

"Ye're going to have to speak up. Ye boys flattened my ear trumpet," he waved the wrecked ear trumpet in his hand and the king chocked on a laugh,

"I'll flatten more than your trumpet," he barked and the dwarves looked at each other worriedly. Clearing his throat Bofur stepped forward,

"If it's more information you want then I'm the one you should speak to,"

Oin stepped back as the goblin king loomed over Bofur. Arianna gripped Kili's hand tightly as the small dwarf simply smiled at the goblin,

"We were on a road…well it's not really a road as a path. Actually, come to think of it…it's more like a track. Anyway, we're on this road, like a path, like a track and then we weren't,"

Arianna shut her eyes. Whatever game these dwarves were playing then they were certainly playing it with fire. The king rolled his eyes as Bofur carried on rambling,

"Which is a problem because we're supposed to be on Duneland last Tuesday," he nodded as Dori piped up behind him,

"Visiting distant relations,"

As the rest of the company began to nod and shout out in agreement Arianna watched as the goblin king stood to his full height,

"Shut up!" he roared. The dwarves fell silent and Bofur slowly stepped back into the middle of the huddle. The goblin king looked at the terrified faces below him,

"Very well. If they will not talk, we'll make them squawk! Bring out the neck wrangler. Bring out the bone crusher. Start with the youngest!"

Arianna looked into the terrified face of Ori as the king pointed at him. Without even thinking about she pulled her wrist away from Kili,

"Arianna what…" his eyes grew wide with realisation, "No!" He reached out for her she ignored his pleas. As the others realised her plan they tried to haul her back. However, as she shook off their grips she soon found herself at the front of the group. Standing in front of Ori she blocked him from the king's view,

"Lay a finger on him and I'll give you a taste of iron so far up your arse you'll be spitting on it,"

The king gave a mocking bow, "Look lads. We have a lady in our presence," he leered forward,

"And such a pretty one as well,"

Arianna pushed Ori into the waiting arms of his brother before stepping forward, pretending to be examining her finger nails,

"You really are too kind. I wasn't going to…"

She was cut off as the king backhanded her across the face. The force of the blow sent her sprawling to the floor. This action enraged the dwarves,

"Get ye filthy hands off her!" Dwalin yelled,

"Touch a hair on our lass's head…" Bofur threatened whilst Fili grabbed his brother to stop him from jumping on the goblin king, who loomed over Arianna,

"You will speak when spoken to!" he growled. Shaking her head she looked up at the king, fixing him with her fiercest glare. The goblin king leered at her,

"So then…why is pretty thing like you travelling with a group of dwarves? Keep them warm at night do you?" he laughed at his crude joke whilst Arianna's face remained emotionless,

"_Auta miqula orqu_!" she spat.

Whether they understood the insult or not the goblins surrounding the dwarves screamed with rage. Several threw themselves on Arianna and forced her to the ground; beating her with sticks and clubs.

"Get away from her!" Kili screamed as Dwalin joined Fili in holding him back. The king raised a hand and the goblins attacking Arianna backed away, allowing her to get to her feet. The king eyed Kili,

"You care for this girl?" he didn't wait for Kili to answer. Snapping his fingers two large goblins grabbed Arianna by the arms and hauled her forward. He took her face in his hands,

"You will pay for your insolence," he hissed. Arianna gaged at the foul stench that was his breath. The king faced the dwarves,

"One last chance to talk…else she will pay the price for your silence,"

The dwarves looked on. Their faces a mix of hatred and fear over what would happen to Arianna. The king shrugged,

"Take them to the cages," he turned to Arianna,

"Leave this one here…there are some questions I want answering. Even if I have to break every bone in her body,"

As the goblins roughly grabbed the dwarves they began shouting and cursing as they were dragged back down the makeshift bridges. Arianna kicked out at the goblins who held her but one threw her to the ground and hit her harshly round the face. Kili yelled out in anger and twisted free from his goblin captor. Breaking into a run he was only a few feet from Arianna when another goblin clubbed him over the head. With a short gasp Kili fell in a slump to the ground,

"KILI!" Fili fought like a raging bull as two goblins began to drag his unconscious brother along. Arianna watched in horror as her friends were dragged from view. As the goblins dragged her to her knees she glared at the king, who merely patted her face,

"Let us see how long she will last,"

* * *

As Bilbo slowly opened his eyes he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head. Groaning softly he forced himself up, craning his neck to see just how far he had fallen. His heart dropped as he realised he could only see a faint light above him. Gripping his sword Bilbo swallowed nervously as the bright blue light continued to glow. A dying snarl came from behind him and he spun round to see the body of the goblin lying in a broken heap. Bilbo took a small step towards it before ducking down behind a rock as he saw yet another strange figure appear from out of the gloom. Bright wide eyes shone in the light and as it got nearer Bilbo could hear a strange, throaty noise coming from its mouth,

"Gollum! Gollum!"

The skeletal, hunched up figure stood over the goblin and Bilbo clapped a hand over his mouth as it grabbed a rock and brutality struck the goblins head again and again with it. Sickened, Bilbo turned away. However, that action did nothing as he saw the bright blue light from his sword start to fade. Daring to peer back out from behind his hiding place Bilbo watched as the little creature began to drag the goblins body away. After waiting almost an age, Bilbo slowly climbed out from behind the damp rock, hissing with pain as his arms and legs still ached from the long fall. He took several, nervous steps forward and his foot knocked against something buried among the dirt. Frowning Bilbo bent down and his fingers passed over a small circular object. Holding it up in the light Bilbo felt almost enchanted by the gold ring in his hand.

**Translations**

**Auta miqula orqu – **Go kiss an Orc

_**As much as I think I should I'm not going to apologise for how I ended this chapter because I LOVE IT! Plus…Bilbo's found The Ring! There is going to be a torture scene in the next chapter but I'll try not to go overboard with it for anyone's a bit squeamish.**_

_**Don't forget to tell me what you think.**_


	18. Blood, Sweat and Tears

_**Thanks to 0netflixme0 for following me. **_

_** – Don't feel weird…I really enjoyed writing this chapter! Glad you think Arianna's a great character and I hope she stays that way.**_

_**0netflixme0 – I'm typing as fast as my fingers will allow!**_

_**Bunny's daughter – I was laughing when I wrote that bit! **_

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Sweat from the heat of the fires dripped down Arianna's face. Her hands had been bound with thick rope and tied to a large meat hook above her head. The hook was so high her feet only just touched the ground. The king nodded and one of the goblins ripped away a large scrap of fabric from her tunic, leaving almost her whole right side exposed. Grabbing a thick branding iron the king looked into Arianna's face and she sniffed,

"I haven't got all day."

She gritted her teeth as the king held the branding iron in the air beside her skin. Without giving her a second glance he tapped it against her side before removing it again. Arianna gasped at the short burst of pain and the king gently pressed it to another part of her skin before taking it away.

"First question," he hissed, "What is your name?"

Arianna shook her head and bit her lip as the king pressed the iron against her side. She took several shaky breaths as he carried on playing his sick game. He would gently tap the hot metal against her skin and remove it before she had a chance to feel any real pain. Soon Arianna's side was filled with small, thin burns and more sweat fell down her face as she took deep breaths. She wasn't going to give the goblin king the satisfaction of hearing her scream. The king threw the brand aside in frustration,

"You are tough aren't you?"

Arianna spat at his face and a goblin yanked on her hair as a result. The king however began to laugh at her actions,

"How about something else," he nodded and one of the goblins standing behind Arianna grabbed a knife and tore the back of her shirt down the middle – exposing her bare back. Arianna's knees buckled as she saw the same goblin take a whip from his king's hands. The handle was big enough to be held with two hands and instead of just one piece of rope, the whip sported two – both ending in small metal claws. The king rounded on her,

"Your name?" he growled. Arianna shook her head,

"Do your worst," she growled and the king gave a low bow,

"As you wish,"

The first stroke bit into her back and she flung her head backwards, gritting her teeth to try and cope with the pain. It was the same with the next two lashes and on the fourth a small gasp escaped her lips. The king nodded and the goblin holding the whip began to lash out at Arianna furiously. Sweat and blood ran down her back and her limbs trembled. The king grabbed her neck,

"All I need is a name my pet. Just one name,"

Arianna shook her head and the goblin king narrowed his eyes. As the next stroke sliced down her back Arianna couldn't stop the scream ripping from her throat.

* * *

Fili stroked his brother's hair gently. The dwarves had been forced along several rickety bridges before being thrown into large cages. Upon a closer look Fili was repulsed to find the cages were made from bones. Wiping his hands on his trousers he knelt beside his unconscious brother. He had been surprised when the goblin had thrown Kili into the same cell as Fili and Balin but he wasn't going to voice his thoughts until the foul creatures had left them. During the first few minutes the dwarves had all looked at each other nervously.

"What…what will they do to her?" Ori's voice shook as tears fell down his face. He leant against Dori who hugged him tightly. Fili looked over at the cage that held Ori, Dori, Gloin and Oin and he sighed,

"I don't know," he admitted before turning to Balin who merely shook his head,

"I don't think they'll want to know," the old dwarf whispered. Fili gripped Kili hard.

"She's a brave lass," Gloin said – his voice full of admiration – and the rest of the company chorused their agreement. Dwalin nodded,

"That she is my friend…that she is,"

"Fili?" Fili turned at the sound of his uncle's voice, "How is he?"

Fili looked down at his brother, "I don't know uncle,"

Thorin reached through the bars and gently patted Fili on the shoulder. He was just removing his hand when an agonising scream trailed down from above. The company fell silent and Ori burst into a fresh wave of tears as another, even more chilling scream soon followed. Fili looked down at Kili. His body was moving slightly and Fili prayed that Kili didn't come round for a long time. It was bad enough for the company to have to listen…he would not let Kili hear as well.

* * *

Arianna hung limply from the meat hook. She heard the whip being dropped behind her but her brain wasn't registering the sound properly. A thick hand forced her head up and she stared at the goblin king,

"What is your name?"

Arianna let her head rest in his hands, "Arianna," she mumbled, "My name…is…Arianna,"

The king nodded appreciatively, "Thank you my pet. That wasn't so hard was it?"

Arianna didn't reply. Her back was in agony and her vision was starting to blur. The king gently tapped her face,

"Next question. What are you and a group of dwarves doing in my kingdom?"

Although the movement caused a burning pain in her neck, Arianna shook her head,

"No," she whispered, "I won't…tell you anything,"

The goblin king placed his hands on his hips.

"Very well. Let us show you what real pain _tastes_ like!"

Another goblin stepped in front of Arianna. He was tall and fat – although nowhere near the size of his king – and he held a thick knife in his hand. As he licked his lips the rest of the Arianna could feel nausea creep up into her stomachs. She hadn't liked the way the king had said the word "tastes." The goblin grabbed her by the throat and his knife flashed down her arm. He gently ran a long finger down her pale skin that was now exposed. As the goblin sank its teeth into her arm, Arianna gave a pain racked cry as the goblin's teeth dug through her flesh. It drew away and she felt the bile rise in her throat as she saw its blood stained teeth. Arianna barely had time to draw breath when the goblin bit her again – this time on the inside of her arm. Arianna threw her head back and shut her eyes as a burning pain shot up her arm. More screams coming from her throat. Soon both of her arms were covered in blood. The goblin's knife tore at Arianna shirt, exposing her shoulders. The goblin leered evilly at her, the tip of its knife resting on her collar bone,

"You taste so sweet. So sweet and juicy," it hissed, as it ran a finger down her blood soaked arm. Arianna couldn't stop herself as its teeth bit into her shoulder. A long, drawn out scream ripped from her throat and the goblins that surrounded the dwarves began cackling and cheering. Blood ran down her collar bone and as the goblin licked her shoulder her body shuddered. The goblin ran its knife down her tunic, tearing it along the middle. The knife clattered to the floor as it grabbed her left breast. Arianna stiffened, fear creeping onto her face as she saw the look in the goblins eyes. The goblin grabbing at Arianna winked at her and she widened her eyes as she realised what it was about to do. She hurriedly tried to conjure up an image of the company in her mind in a futile attempt to block out the pain that was going to happen.

Ori with his kind, warm smile, Bofur with his ridiculous hat and goofy grin, Bombur who always had something to eat in his hands. Oin and Gloin who were almost inseparable. Bifur whom she couldn't even talk to and yet he still made her feel one of them. Nori and Dori who were always there for each other and their younger brother. Dwalin who had hated her at first but was now pushing ferociously against the goblins to try and help her. Balin who was like the grandfather of the group – always making sure that everyone was well fed and rested. Even Thorin who had said those cruel words to her and Bilbo just a few hours ago came into her mind. He might be arrogant, but she knew he would do anything to protect the company. And finally Fili and Kili; two of the biggest troublemakers she had ever known. Yet there was a fierce sense of loyalty and honour beneath all of that. Arianna smiled to herself; no matter what happened to her now, Kili would be safe.

Arianna glared at the goblin in front of her and tried to keep the image in her mind. However, all it took was a single bite and the image shattered. She threw her head back and gave a long, soul wrenching scream. The screams continued as the goblins teeth dug into her skin. She could feel him sucking her blood and her legs gave way beneath her. Backing away the goblin wiped her blood from its face. Arianna didn't dare look down at her blood soaked tunic. The goblin king loomed over her,

"This pain can stop in an instant if you wish," he crooned, "All you have to do is talk,"

Arianna shook her head weakly. The goblin grabbed her other breast and she whimpered as tears coursed down her face. She wouldn't be able to go through that kind of pain again,

"Please. Please stop," the words were barely above a whisper. The goblin leaned forward, its teeth bared.

* * *

Down below, the company held each other close as the screams continued,

"The poor lass..." Bofur whispered as tears ran down his face. As they heard yet another scream, Fili looked down in horror as Kili's eyes flickered open,

"Fili?" he whispered, "Where's…Arianna?"

Fili avoided his brothers gaze and held him tight, but as more screams could be heard Kili's eyes snapped open and he sat bolt upright. Fili fell backwards in shock and he got to his feet, he launching himself at Kili, who was throwing himself furiously against the cage doors,

"ARIANNA!" Kili screamed as Fili hauled him back. Collapsing against his brother Kili buried his head in Fili's chest as tears ran down his face,

"Make it stop," he whispered as Fili held him close, "Stop them hurting her,"

Fili could do nothing except gently rock Kili back and forth – the way he had done when Kili had woken from a nightmare when he was little. He clamped his hands over Kili's ears as more screams could be heard. Finally a long, drawn out scream could be heard before being cut short. The company looked at each other in terror as a horrible silence followed,

"What…what happened?" Dori asked quietly. Everyone looked over at Balin who shook his head, wiping the tears from his eyes,

"Balin…she can't be…" Thorin whispered, sneaking a look at Kili who was shaking uncontrollably. It was at times like this that Thorin remembered just how young Kili still was. Even though his youngest nephew insisted on being treated like an adult, he _was_ still a child. Balin bit his lip and the dwarves looked all around them, at their feet, the cage walls; everywhere except at Kili who had curled himself up into a small ball in the corner of his cage. Fili knelt down beside him,

"Kee…we don't know if she…" he broke off, unable to say the words. Kili chocked out a sob and Fili enveloped him. Dwalin struck his fist against the cage. Thorin watched his friend warily. In all the years he'd known Dwalin he'd never seen the warrior dwarf look so angry,

"When I get out of here…" he said venomously, "I'm going to strike that goblin kings head from his body so hard it'll travel to the centre of the earth!"

"Look!"

Everyone turned to look at Nori who was staring at the cage door in wonder. No one said anything as the door silently swung open,

"How?" Gloin stepped forward as Nori held up a small hair grip used for one of his braids,

"I'm not just a pretty face you know," he shrugged. Fili managed a grim smile,

"Such a though never crossed our minds,"

Nori had taken a single step out of his cage when a huge group of goblins rushed forward. Wrenching the cage door open they hauled the dwarves out from their prison and back the way they had come. This time, the dwarves gave a much greater fight than they had before. Anger over what had happened to Arianna fuelled their fight. However, they were heavily outnumbered and the goblins beat them with clubs and their bare fists until they were once again in front of the goblin king. The gazes of everyone landed on the limp figure of Arianna who was still tied to the meat hook. Fili and Dwalin kept a fierce grip on Kili who stared murderously at the goblins around them. The king grabbed Arianna's face and turned it towards the company. A small sigh of relief ran through the group as her eyes flickered openand she stared at them. The king let go of her face and grinned evilly,

"This little lady has been _very_ helpful to me. I never realised we had royalty in our presence,"

He gave a low bow,

"Welcome Thorin, Son of Thrain, Son of Thror. King under the mountain,"

As the goblins leered, the dwarves looked over at Arianna in shock. Weakly she turned her head towards them and as they saw her pale face they looked at each other in alarm. What else had she told the goblin king?

Thorin stepped forward and glowered at the goblins,

"Let her go," his voice dark and dangerous – filled with authority. The king bowed again,

"As you wish," drawing his knife he cut through the ropes that bound Arianna. No one said anything as she collapsed to the floor. Several goblins dragged her limp body back towards the company who snarled as they threw her before them. Kili tore free of his brother's grip and fell to his knees beside a shivering Arianna who was busy trying to do her blood stained shirt back up. Kili pushed her blood covered fingers away and swiftly tied her shirt up – covering her chest. With one arm around her waist her got her to her feet and pushed her back into the middle of the group. Arianna tried to stay on her feet but her legs shook and she fell to her knees. Looking up she saw Dori smiling at her,

"Thank you," he took her hand as tears ran down his own face, "Thank you for saving him,"

Arianna nodded weakly. Her limbs trembled as she tried to get to her feet. Someone knelt down beside her and threw a thick coat over her body. Nodding thanks to Bifur she took a deep breath and – with some help from Kili – got to her feet. Keeping an iron grip on her Kili looked at Arianna in horror. As he looked at the burns on her side and blood that covered her tunic, pure rage coursed through him as he thought about what she had been subjected to,

"I'm going to kill every single _barathaz rukhsitaz _in existence!" he snarled murderously as he kept a tight grip on Arianna to stop her from falling. Meanwhile the goblin king was fixed on Thorin,

"I know someone who would pay a pretty price for your head. Just the head of course, nothing attached,"

Arianna watched as all of the dwarves around her stiffened. If they had any weapons available then they would have drawn them at the king's words.

"Perhaps you know of whom I speak?" the king said, "An old enemy of yours. The pale orc?"

Thorin's eyes widened only slightly, "Azog the defiler was destroyed. He was slain in battle long ago!"

"So you think his defiling days are over do you?" he leered at Thorin before turning to Arianna,

"Maybe she can test that theory for us?" Kili growled at those words and his grip on Arianna tightened. The king turned to a small goblin, who sat on a little chair that hung on a wire,

"Send word to the pale orc. Tell him we have found his prize,"

As the goblin's chair flew down into the dark depths the king turned back to his prisoners as huge torture instruments were brought forward. The king leaned forward and pointed at the company,

"It's your turn now," he cackled as he choked out another song,

_Bones will be shattered, necks will be wrung_

_You'll be beaten and battered, from racks you'll be hung,_

_You'll lie down here and never be found,_

_Down in the deeps of Goblin Town!_

He had only just finished the song when one of the goblins unsheathed Thorin's sword. Its eyes widened in terror and it flung the sword away as though it burned. At once the goblins began screaming,

"I know that sword!" the king cried out, "It is the goblin cleaver!"

The dwarves were ripped away from each other and thrown to the ground. Arianna watched in terror as both Fili and Kili were torn apart from each other by goblins that then began to whip them harshly. The king jumped up onto his throne,

"Slash them! Beat them! Kill them all!"

Arianna tried to push her way towards Kili when two goblins grabbed her and forced her to the floor. She screamed in agony as they clawed along the welts covering her back. Her screams reached Fili's ears and he turned to see the body of Arianna underneath several goblins that were beating her furiously. Yelling fiercely he threw the goblins off him and knelt over Arianna – taking the blows that were intended for her. He bit his lip as he could feel whips cutting into his thick coat and as he looked at Arianna's back he saw it was covered in blood. Meanwhile, Thorin had been thrown in front of the goblin king, who screamed with rage,

"Cut off his head!" he roared. Arianna looked up as a goblin held a sword over Thorin's neck. Blood coursed down her back as she threw her hand out towards the goblin king. A bright white light exploded from her hand, throwing goblins into the air. As the light died away Arianna looked up to see the tall figure of Gandalf making his way towards them,

"Take up arms. Fight!" he yelled. Scrambling to their feet the dwarves kicked and punched at the goblins around them whilst grabbing weapons and tossing them to their original owners. Arianna sheathed several of her knives and strapped her bow to her back,

"Lass! Catch!"

Arianna turned to see Gloin throw her sword towards her. In one swift movement she grabbed it and turned to slice through the neck of the closest goblin. Kicking it's body away she tried to ignore the almost unbearable pain that was spreading all over her body. A hand flew to her bare neck,

"The necklace," she whispered. Arianna scanned the floor in front of her but found it to be completely empty. Kili grabbed her hand and pulled her along. For a second Arianna considered pulling his grip away but she saw the haunted look in his eyes and she realised that she didn't even had enough strength to consider arguing. He pushed her in front of him, still amazed that she could even stand on her own two feet never mind run for her life. He pulled out his own sword and hacked a goblins head off as the company began following Gandalf along the wooden bridges that ran through Goblin town.

**Translations**

**Barathaz rukhsitaz – **Bloody goblin

_**Sorry if anyone found it a bit too graphic or anything but this chapter kind of ran away with me a bit. I kept wanting to cry as I wrote the scenes from the dwarf's point of view! **_

_**Would love to hear people thoughts on this. **_


	19. Out of Goblin Town and Into the Fire

_**Big thanks to Eruwaedhiel95, Girljordan for following me.**_

_**Ec1aire – I'm sorry for putting Kili through that ordeal.**_

_**Trust brings pain – Trust me I was in tears as well. Also, yes what Kili said was in Dwarvish.**_

_**Bunnys daughter – Glad you enjoyed it…I know this sounds weird but it was one of my favourite chapters to write.**_

_**Eruwaedhiel95 – Glad you're finding this story awesome and don't panic…I'm not going to stop writing.**_

_**ZabuzasGirl – Updating as fast as possible.**_

_**Would just like to add a little authors note here – a couple of people have said that I have copied certain aspects of dialogue from other sources. Any quotes that I have taken from TV shows, films etc I have NEVER EVER claimed as my own lines. I just thought I should put this as a clarification. **_

Out of Goblin Town and Into the Fire

The company raced through the bridges that made up Goblin Town. Gandalf led the way, cutting down any goblins that were foolish enough to get in his way. Arianna found herself caught up in the middle of the pack. She could still feel the blood running down her arms and her back but to her surprise she found that almost all of the pain had gone. Beheading a goblin that came too close to a terrified Ori, she looked up in time to see a goblin jump on top of her. Kicking out she screamed as it dragged its claws down her already blood soaked arm. Spitting in its face she buried one of her knives in its chest and as it fell back Arianna could feel the pain start to creep back in her body. Biting her lip she struggled to her feet when she felt someone's arm round her. Before she could say anything, Dwalin picked her up in his arms and carried her on his shoulder. Arianna turned her head, amazed at the fact that the warrior dwarf was still fighting whilst carrying her. Brandishing his sword he carved a path for the dwarves behind him. Looking down, Arianna saw blood trailing down his back. She almost threw up as she realised it was _her_ blood. As the path cleared Dwalin stopped and she looked above her in horror,

"Balin!" she screamed. The old dwarf was all alone and surrounded by goblins. Arianna watched with a jaw dropping expression as he twisted and twirled his wooden staff around; knocking goblins over the side as they tried to get him. Arianna gritted her teeth. If an old dwarf like Balin was able to fight then so would she. She wriggled in Dwalin's grip,

"Put me down!" she yelled over the noise of dwarf battle cries and goblin shrieks. Dwalin shook his head and she glared at him,

"Put me down so I can fight you idiot!" she didn't really want to insult Dwalin. But there wasn't time to get into a long conversation with him. He looked at her closely and she could see he still wasn't sure about it. However he relented and gently set her back on her feet. Arianna looked around her in horror. Somehow the dwarves had become separated from each other. She was standing with half the company whilst she saw the other half running on the bridge above them. Her heart leapt into her mouth as she saw Kili was at the front. He still had his bow and a quiver full of arrows, but he was unable to make use of them and was instead using his sword to try and block the goblin arrows that were flying towards him. Although she knew it wasn't the best time to do so, Arianna couldn't help but watch in awe as he blocked each and every arrow that came at him. However, her awe turned to horror as she saw a goblin leap at Kili, sword raised directly at his neck. Jumping up, Arianna grabbed hold of the end of the bridge above her and swung herself up. Pulling two knives out she ran and jumped onto her back, sliding along the bridge towards the dwarves. The goblins screeched and cried out as her knives cut through their legs. As she reached Kili she jumped to her feet delivered a fierce right hook to the goblin that stood between them. Clutching its head it staggered backwards and as it fell over the side Kili stared at her. For the first time he could see the fire in her eyes and the assassin that she had once been.

"You're…" he trailed off, breathless. Arianna shrugged,

"Fantastic? Amazing? Wonderful?"

He shook his head, "the most reckless and hot headed thing I've ever seen!"

"Kili! Arianna!"

The pair looked up to see Fili yelling at them. Kili blushed before grabbing the ladder beside him and running forward. As he pushed the ladder across the empty space Kili shoved Arianna in front of him and into the waiting arms of their friends. The company ran forward and found themselves hurtling towards a swinging section of bridge. Whilst they had all made it on the bridge together, only the first few managed to jump off safely. Kili pushed Arianna ahead of him; making sure she was among that first group. As the bridge swung back several goblins jumped on but they stood no chance. The dwarves cut them down as if they were no more than pesky flies. Leaping from the bridge Arianna watched as Dwalin and Fili cut the ropes that held the bridge up. The remaining goblins screamed as they plummeted into the dark depths below.

"Come on!" Gandalf yelled as he tapped a huge boulder with his staff. Dwalin, Gloin and Oin began pushing it in front of them, squashing the goblins that blocked the bridge. As they ran on, Arianna could feel her legs tremble beneath her. Her vision blurred just for a second and she looked down to see her tunic was now completely covered in blood. She looked up to see Fili watching her worriedly,

"I'm fine," she said roughly. He raised his eyebrow before taking her hand and pulling her along with the others. Dwalin gave a huge roar as he shoved the boulder off the end of the bridge and turned round the sharp bend with the others. Arianna began to feel a small sense of hope bubble in her stomach as she saw an empty bridge stood between them and the way out. They were going to make it. They were going to get out. They had gotten halfway across when the goblin king burst through the bridge; showering bits of wood everywhere. Kili instantly pulled Arianna behind him as the king leaned over them,

"You thought you could escape me?" his crown had slipped and now hung over most of his face. Arianna's stomach churned as she realised that his huge eyes were fixed on her own face.

"I tell you what," he suddenly turned to Gandalf, "I'll make you a deal. I'll let you go if you give me him," he pointed to Thorin, "And her," he dug his finger in Arianna's direction. The dwarves simply gripped their weapons tightly and growled so fiercely they sounded like wargs. Kili and Fili stepped in front of Arianna,

"Try and take her then," Kili snarled as the dwarves nodded in agreement. The goblin king turned to Gandalf,

"What are you going to do then wizard?"

In reply Gandalf lunged forward and jabbed the tip of his staff into the kings' eye before slashing its disgusting stomach with his sword. Clutching his body in agony the king sighed,

"That'll do it," he muttered. Those were his final words as Gandalf's sword sliced his throat. As his dead body crashed before the company, the bridge they were standing on began to creak and sway. Arianna slowly looked down and her stomach churned,

"Oh no," she muttered as the ropes holding the bridge snapped and the company plunged down. As it fell it crashed into other sections of bridge and Arianna felt her grip on Kili vanish in an instant. Shutting her eyes she grabbed onto whatever she could find. The sides of the bridges scraped along the rock walls until finally it crashed at the bottom. The force of the crash caused the different layers to squash the dwarves who were unlucky enough to be caught in them. Silence fell apart from the muttered curses from the dwarves, who were at the bottom,

"Well that could have been worse," Bofur said in an attempt to be cheerful. However, no sooner had the words left his mouth than the body of the goblin king landed on the top section of bridge; causing everything else to shatter and crush the dwarves even more,

"You…have got…to be…joking!" Dwalin yelled. Coughing harshly Arianna spat blood from her mouth as the dwarves tried to wriggle free. Below her she heard Kili's terrified voice,

"Gandalf!"

Everyone looked up to see hundreds of goblins swarming down the sides of the rock face towards them,

"We can't fight them! There're too many!" Dwalin yelled as he pulled Nori from the wreckage. Gandalf nodded,

"Only one thing will save us now. Daylight! Come on!" he pulled Balin to his feet and pushed him down a narrow tunnel. As the rest of the company began to follow Kili searched around for Arianna. His eyes widened when he saw she was still trapped in the wreckage. Grabbing her arms he tried in vain to pull her free. However the weight of the goblin king above her meant all he resulted in doing was making her cry out in pain.

"Fili!" Kili shouted. Within seconds his brother was by his side. Wrapping his arms around Arianna's waist they eventually managed to pull her free. She sank to the ground and Kili tried his best to pull her up,

"Come on!" he pleaded. Arianna shook her head. She'd been running on adrenaline during their escape through Goblin Town. But now, the pain in her body was off the scale. Her arms and back felt like they were being set on fire and her legs shook and collapsed beneath her as Kili tried to drag her along. She shook her head and pushed him away,

"Get out of here," her voice was barely audible. However Kili stood his ground,

"Not without you. Never without you," he whispered the last part as tears formed in his eyes but Arianna shook her head,

"Get the hell out of here Kili," she pushed away his attempts to help her. Fili nodded and grabbed his brother by the arm. Kili fought off Fili's grip but his brother shook his head and shoved him down the tunnel. Kili opened his mouth to shout some vile curse when his brother winked at him,

"I've got her Kee," he whispered before turning round. Kili nodded trustingly at his brother before running after the others. Picking up the semi – conscious Arianna in his arms, Fili watched as she leant her head against his shoulder,

"What part of "get out of here" do you not get?" she muttered. Fili shrugged. His gaze turned to his sleeve and the front of his tunic – both of which were starting to get soaked with her blood. Her gripped her tightly and ran faster. If they didn't stop the bleeding…

"Stay with me," he muttered as her eyes flickered, "Stay with us Arianna,"

She muttered something inaudible and Fili eyed her closely. They were nearing the exit of the tunnel as he could see bright skies before them. Now they were out of danger her slowed his pace to a fast walk. Arianna put an arm round his neck to help keep her grip and she managed a weak smile. Fili sighed,

"I saw what you did back there," he whispered, "I saw that light shoot from your hand,"

She didn't say anything and he pressed on, "Why did you not tell us?"

She shut her eyes, "Because it's made me a monster,"

* * *

Bilbo watched as he saw the dwarf's race past him, Gandalf in the lead. He opened his mouth to call out when he remembered two things. One: Gollum stood between him and the company and two: he was invisible and he couldn't afford to give that away. So Bilbo resigned himself to watching his friends run past him and out of the goblin tunnels. As the hunched, skeletal figure of Gollum turned away Bilbo silently drew out his sword and placed it against the creature's neck. One movement was all it took. Raising his sword Bilbo prepared to bring it down when Gollum turned to face him. Or rather the empty air.

Bilbo paused as Gollum looked around him, his big eyes filled with despair and sorrow. Sighing to himself, Bilbo lowered his sword. He couldn't kill Gollum. The creature may have tried to kill him, but it wasn't evil. It wasn't like the orcs who had been hunting them. All Gollum wanted was his Precious. Bilbo knew that if he did kill Gollum then he would be haunted by it for the rest of his life. Sheathing his sword he backed away as Gollum's lips trembled from the loss of the Precious. Crossing his fingers for luck, Bilbo ran forward and leapt over the creature, accidently kicking it in the head as he did so. As he ran towards the daylight he could hear Gollum screaming out with rage behind him,

"Curse Bagginses! We hates it forever!"

* * *

Eventually the company came to a halt just as they had passed several large trees. Covered in cuts and bruises they began clapping each other on the shoulder in disbelief. Gandalf stood on a large rock and began counting to himself,

"Bifur, Bofur," he muttered, "nine ten eleven," he smiled, "Fili and Arianna! That makes fourteen,"

As Fili carefully sat Arianna against a large rock, Kili pushed past the other dwarves and hugged his brother tightly,

"Thank you," he whispered. Fili grinned,

"You love her brother. I will protect her with my life,"

Kili nodded before staring in horror at Arianna. Her clothes were torn and singed, her skin was almost white and she was covered in dirt and blood. Thorin ran to Fili in concern,

"You're hurt?"

Fili looked down at his blood stained clothes and shook his head, "It's not mine,"

The company turned to Arianna in horror. Now that they were in daylight the full extent of her wounds was becoming clear. Thorin knelt beside her,

"I am sorry for what I said before," He said quietly, "I was wrong to say you do not know loyalty."

Arianna nodded in understanding. For Thorin Oakenshield to apologise to anyone was a rare occasion. Thorin placed a hand on her shoulder,

"What else…what else did you tell the goblins?"

"Thorin…" Dwalin growled in warning but Thorin sighed,

"We need to know what else she said,"

Arianna shook her head, "I told them my name and yours…and that was it,"

Thorin raised an eyebrow but she nodded, "I swear Thorin, I told them nothing of the quest,"

Thorin nodded before getting to his feet and the rest of the company stared at Arianna in admiration. To be able to go through such torture and say almost nothing. Ignoring the looks from Thorin and the others, Kili knelt beside Arianna and held her hand tightly. Oin sat down beside her and gently prised Bifur's coat away from her skin. She hissed at the pain and Kili gripped her hand tightly as Oin dabbed at the burns on her side and examined her bite marks. He sat back on his heels as he began bandaging her wounds. Kili stared at the old dwarf,

"Can you not do something?"

"I need to clean them," Oin replied calmly, "And I don't see a stream anywhere do you? This is just to stop her from losing any more blood,"

As the bandages were wrapped around her back and arms, Arianna was aware that everyone's eyes were on her,

"What did you say to the goblin king lass?" Bofur asked, "Ye said something in elvish. What was it?"

Arianna grinned, "I told him to go and kiss an orc,"

The company burst into laughter and Kili snorted,

"Nice one," he whispered. Arianna's hand flew to her neck and she suddenly burst into tears.

"My necklace," she sobbed, "My mother's necklace. It's the only thing I had of my family and it's gone!"

The company looked at each other guilty before Nori stepped forward and held his hand out,

"Here you are," he whispered. Arianna took the necklace from his hand and he gave her a soft smile,

"They were so busy focusing on Thorin that they didn't even notice me move towards it," he then brought out two packs; one for Oin and the other went to Arianna who held the necklace tightly in her hands. The rest of the company had somehow managed to keep their own packs although most of them were over half empty.

"Thank you," Arianna smiled through her tears. Nori shrugged, uncomfortable with all the attention,

"You saved Ori's life back there. We can never repay you for that,"

The company were silent as Kili took the necklace from Arianna and carefully dropped it over her head. As the small stone touched her skin she leant her head against the rock she was sitting by and gave Kili a small smile.

"Well I must say Mr Gandalf," Dori piped up, "Your timing was excellent,"

"Oh?" Gandalf frowned as the dwarves nodded and clapped, "How do you mean?"

"Well when you arrived with your magic. Bright white light and poof! No goblins!" Dori grinned but Gandalf shook his head,

"That wasn't me," the dwarves followed his gaze and Arianna slowly got to her feet,

"It was me," she said quietly. The dwarves stared at her in astonishment. Arianna was unsure of what to say next. However, Thorin stopped her doubts by marching towards her. Kili stepped in front of Arianna,

"Uncle…"

"Why did you keep this from us?" he snapped. Arianna opened her mouth but was cut off by Gandalf,

"Where's Bilbo? Where is the hobbit?"

Thorin fixed Arianna with a cold glare before he joined the others in looking around for Bilbo. Kili held Arianna close but she could see the sadness in his eyes,

"Why did you not tell us?" he whispered. She shook her head,

"Because I was afraid," she whispered. Kili narrowed his brow in confusion before Thorin spoke,

"I'll tell you what happened. Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it. He has thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since he stepped out of his door,"

"With all due respect Thorin it's no different than you thinking of nothing but Erebor," Arianna said, "What's wrong with thinking of your home from time to time? At least you can all do that,"

Thorin shook his head, "We will not be seeing out hobbit again. He is long gone,"

"No he isn't," The company turned round in surprise as Bilbo appeared from out of nowhere, a smile that bordered on smug on his face. Gandalf laughed out loud,

"Bilbo Baggins! I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life,"

"Bilbo, we'd given you up," Kili said cheerfully. Bilbo looked at the smiles on the dwarves faces in shock.

"However did you escape the goblins?" Fili asked. Bilbo winked,

"How indeed?" he said mysteriously as he withdrew his fingers from his pocket. Gandalf frowned before smiling,

"What does it matter? He's back!"

"It matters," Thorin pushed past Arianna and Kili to face Bilbo,

"Why did you come back?"

Bilbo turned to Thorin with a small smile on his face,

"Look I know you doubt me. You're right, I often think of Bag – End. I miss my books, and my garden, and my armchair. That's where I belong. That's my home. This is why I came back. Because you don't have one – a home. It was taken from you. But I will help you get it back if I can,"

Arianna smiled at Bilbo after he finished his speech. He grinned back as Thorin lowered his head slightly as though he was ashamed for how harsh he had been to the hobbit. An awkward silence settled around the company for a few seconds before a loud howl could be heard from the direction they had just come. The blood of everyone froze and Kili turned to see fear in Arianna's eyes. He held her hand tightly and smiled reassuringly at her.

"Out of the frying pan," Thorin muttered. Gandalf nodded,

"And into the fire. Run."

"What?" Bilbo said. Gandalf nodded,

"Run!"

As the daylight began to fade the company turned and ran into the throng of trees. Behind them the orc pack grew ever closer.

_**Getting close to the end of 'An Unexpected Journey' now. Hope everyone enjoyed the little bit of Bilbo POV.**_

_**Would love to hear what everyone thinks and I hope the climatic fight between Thorin and Azog doesn't disappoint. **_


	20. A Clash of Steel and Soul

_**Almost 6,000 views! Thanks to BloodyRiley, Marina Oakenshield, aine88 and maddQueen for following me. **_

_**Marina Oakenshield – When I say I'm glad I had you in tears I mean that in a good way I promise. Glad you like the story.**_

_**Celebrisilweth – Hope the big fight isn't an anti-climax for you**_

_**Bunny's daughter – Glad you think I did a great job for those chapters.**_

_**So here we are…the climax of 'An Unexpected Journey'….dun, dun, DUN!**_

A clash of steel and soul

Kili pulled Arianna along as the company raced through the trees. Behind them they could heard the howls and snarls of the wargs drawing closer and closer,

"Up into the trees!" Gandalf yelled as he saw that the ground dropped away into nothingness a few metres away from a group of tall pine trees. The company didn't need to be told twice. Bofur jumped from a large rock and scrambled up a tree whilst helping Bifur up at the same time. Balin leapt from his brothers back whilst Bombur - with huge difficulty – pulled himself up onto the lowest branch of them all. Fili grabbed a tree branch and swung himself up with one hand, holding his other out to Arianna and Kili. As the pair reached the tree Arianna nudged Kili,

"Up you go,"

Kili shook his head and Arianna sighed, "Get up or be tossed up. Your choice,"

He stared at her, "No one tosses a dwarf," he said haughtily. Before giving her a chance to protest he gathered her in his arms and threw her up into the waiting arms of Fili. The blonde dwarf set her on her feet and reached out to help Kili. Arianna shook her head,

"Your brother is so stubborn!"

Fili winked at her, "Welcome to my world," his face then turned deadly serious, "Now save the domestic for later and just climb!"

Arianna nodded and began to make her way up the tree. The thick branches held her weight but the intense pain in her arms meant she was moving at a snail's pace. Soon Fili had overtaken her and began yelling words of encouragement as he perched himself on a thick branch. A blood chilling howl could be heard below her and Arianna looked down to see the small figure of Bilbo facing down a huge Warg. He had his sword out and was holding it in front of him as the Warg spat saliva everywhere. As the animal jumped at Bilbo, a scream ripped from Arianna's throat. She shut her eyes – not wanting to see the remains of the hobbit. She could feel someone shaking her arm,

"He's alive," Kili whispered excitedly, "He's alive,"

Arianna leant her head against the tree as Bilbo stood beside the dead creature – his sword embedded in its face. Kili pushed her again,

"We need to get higher," he urged her. Arianna nodded but the pain in her arms meant that every movement caused her to shout out in pain. Kili pushed her upwards and Fili reached out an arm to help her up. Between the two of them she eventually found herself on the branch beneath Fili. Kili slipped an arm around her waist and helped steady her. She pulled her twin blades out and glared at the wargs who were jumping up at the trees. Looking down she saw Bilbo clinging on for dear life a few branches below. The tree wobbled and Kili tightened his grip. As she winced with the pain he slowly drew his arm away. As he saw dark red spots on the sleeve on his tunic he looked at her back worriedly. Blood was starting to seep through the bandages. However he forced himself to tear his gaze away as the wargs backed away from the trees towards their master. The dwarves didn't dare breathe as a giant white Warg stood atop the same rock Bofur had used to jump into the tree. As she saw the Warg's rider Arianna gripped her blades so fiercely her knuckles turned white. Kili saw the rage in her eyes. He turned sideways to see Thorin push a branch away and he saw the same rage and disbelief in his uncle eyes,

"Azog!" Thorin choked out the word as though it was poison. The yellow eyes of the pale orc glinted in the moonlight. He gently stroked his Warg with his clawed hand,

"_Nuzdigid? Nuzgi gast? Ganzilig-I unarug obod nauzdanish, Torin undag Train-ob."_

Thorin glared murderously at Azog. Arianna meanwhile was still holding her weapons in a death like grip as silent tears coursed down her cheeks. She understood the black speech that rolled of the orcs vile tongue.

"I'm going to make you pay," she hissed, "I'm going to make you wish you had never existed!"

Kili watched her nervously. As he saw the tears fall down her face he understood everything. Azog was the orc who had led the raid on her village. As Arianna's hand moved to the scar on her neck Kili turned to see the orc grinning. He gripped his own sword. He was going to make Azog regret laying a finger on Arianna. The dwarves watched as the pale orc pointed first to Thorin and then to Arianna. Kili and Fili looked at each other in horror but Arianna's face was unreadable,

"_Toralulu biriz!" _Azog roared, _"Worori-da!"_

The snarling wargs leapt forward and began jumping at the trees, stripping bark and branches away. Beneath her Arianna saw Bilbo scramble up the tree towards them, the wargs teeth inches from his bare feet.

"_Sho gad adol!"_ Azog grinned as he kept his gaze on Thorin. Arianna gritted her teeth as she leaned forward. She was going to finish this right here. Kili, sensing what she was about to do, wrapped his arms round her and pulled her back and held her against the tree trunk. She tried to shake him off but he tightened his grip,

"Get off me," she muttered. He shook his head,

"I will not watch you die," he gripped her harshly. Arianna was about to send a sharp retort back at him when the tree shook violently and began to tilt backwards. Kili grabbed her hand and they both leapt for the next tree along with Fili and Bilbo. As they landed safely they had no time to rest. The wargs had caused a domino effect. As one tree crashed into another the terrified dwarves leapt from tree to tree until they were all clinging on to the last tree that stood at the edge of the cliff. Fili and Kili stood together whilst Arianna found herself a few branches below them. Still gripping her blades her eyes never left the bulk of Azog as he grinned at her.

"_Dorgizub nargzablat!"_

She twirled the weapons in her hand before grabbing for a branch as the wargs continued to jump up at the tree,

"FILI!" Gandalf cried. Arianna looked up to see the wizard pass a flaming pinecone to the young dwarf. Fili quickly tapped his against one that Bilbo was holding and the pair threw their ammunition at the wargs below. As the small flaming missiles flew past her head Arianna grinned as the wargs jumped away from the trees – many were already trying to roll over in an attempt to put out their burning fur and the smell made her gag. Above her the dwarves let out a huge cheer before crying out as the tree shook violently before falling backwards. Arianna didn't look back as she gripped her blades. Crying with rage she leapt off the branch. For Kili everything seemed to move in slow motion as he screamed her name and watched her figure fly through the air, the firelight from the burning trees lighting up her whole body. She landed squarely before Azog who slid from his Warg and gripped his own weapon. Arianna swallowed nervously. Up close the pale orc was huge. His bulky figure bore down on her as she slashed at his legs. He roared in pain as blood feel from a wound in his thigh,

"I will not be afraid!" she shouted, "I will make you pay for what you did!"

Azog roared again as he lunged at her. Arianna ducked to avoid taking a hit to the face and slashed at the orcs arm. However she missed and Azog's mace hit her in the stomach – sending her flying backwards. The pain that coursed through her body was now at breaking point. She could tell that the wounds in her back had opened up again and she could feel the back of her shirt was sticky with blood. Her legs shook and her vision became hazy. Spitting blood from her mouth she jumped at the pale orc with her blades held out in an X shape in front of her body. The aim was to slice his chest open. However, once again he swung his mace at her. The blades clattered from her hand and a well-aimed kick from the orc sent her crashing to the floor. Arianna's breathing was ragged as more blood trailed from her mouth. She tried to get to her feet but her arms quivered and she fell back onto the ground. She could hear the cold sound of Azog's breathing and she rolled over to see him standing over her. He'd dropped his mace and his huge fist closed around her shirt collar. She could hear the cries of the dwarves as Azog lifted her into the air. He sniffed her face and bared his teeth,

"_Can you hear it?"_ the common tongue that came from his mouth sounded strange, foreign. Arianna's vision blurred again and her head lolled. Azog shook her hard,

"_Can you hear those cries? Those screams? They are afraid,"_

"You…you bastard." Arianna said weakly. Azog grinned as he stroked her face with his iron claw that now served as a second hand. He forcibly turned her face towards the rest of the company who were clinging on for dear life in the last tree. Even through her increasingly blurred vision Arianna could still make out the form of Kili. He was staring at her in horror and she could see the tears that streaked his face. Azog followed her gaze. His eyes widened with glee as realisation hit him. His claw tapped her face,

"_You will watch as my wargs feast upon the flesh of your dwarf prince!"_

Then, as if she were no more than a rag doll, Azog threw her aside. Arianna didn't make a sound as her body hit the ground beside yet another orc who kicked her violently for good measure. Azog shook his head as he got back on his white Warg. His gaze – and the gaze of the others orcs – was now focused firmly on Thorin. Coughing feebly, Arianna pressed her body weight on her elbows as she fixed her gaze at the back of Azog. She could feel her power burning inside her and with a chilling scream a huge shockwave shot towards Azog and the wargs who were closest towards him. Azog and his Warg were both thrown into a tree but the Warg shook its head and righted itself. Arianna slumped on the ground – surrendering to unconsciousness. The orc nearest screeched something in Black Speech and placed the edge of its sword against her neck. Its arms tensed as it prepared to deliver the killing blow when Azog roared. The orc stepped back as Azog looked down at the unconscious girl,

"_Be thankful my master has need of you," _he hissed_, "Else you would be without a head,"_

* * *

The dwarves watched, horrified as Arianna had launched herself at Azog. Kili had screamed her name even though she had already jumped. He had tried to get up to follow her but the branch his feet were resting on snapped and he was soon clinging on to a single branch by his arms. He tried to move even so but Fili pulled him back,

"Kili no!" he yelled, "It's not worth it,"

Kili stared at his brother – unable to believe what he had just heard. Fili swallowed nervously and he shook his head, realising too late that his words hadn't come out as he had intended. Kili fixed his brother with a fierce glare,

"If anything happens to her," he snarled, "_Anything at all._ Then I will never forgive you."

Powerless, he and the others looked on as Azog crushed any remaining fight from her. As he saw her in the orcs grasp Kili wasn't alone in yelling vile curses and threats to the orcs who merely ignored them. However, everyone had been lost for words as a powerful shockwave crashed into the bodies of the orcs and the remaining Wargs. Even from their distance the dwarves had felt the after effects of Arianna's power and they looked on in hope that maybe she had managed to kill Azog. However as the pale orc rose and Arianna slumped back onto the ground their hearts were once again filled with despair. Thorin meanwhile had watched the entire fight with hatred in his eyes. As Azog grinned at him he pushed himself to his feet. He would not sit here and wait for the tree to fall. He would stand and fight. He would kill this filth and this time he would make sure his deed succeeded this time. Grabbing a broken branch in one arm whilst holding out his sword, Thorin raced along the burning tree before leaping to the air towards Azog. He roared in anger but his cries were cut short as the orc's mace crashed into him – knocking him to the ground. Thorin had no time to react as the Warg clamped its jaws around his body. He screamed in agony,

"NO!" Balin cried.

"Thorin!" Dwalin tried to come to his aid but as the branches snapped he had to focus on keeping himself alive. The dwarves cried out as first Arianna and now their king fell to Azog. Bilbo watched on as the Warg threw Thorin aside and an orc stepped over him, his sword against his neck. Bilbo didn't even allow himself to think about what he was going to do. If he had then he would have stayed where he was. Instead he pulled out his own sword and ran across the tree. His heart pounded against his chest. The orc leered at the form of Thorin who reached out for his sword in one last attempt to fight. The orc raised its sword but never brought it down as Bilbo crashed into it with a fierce yell. The hobbit's yells got fiercer as he plunged his sword into the orcs chest. Its dying screams rang out loud and as he got to his feet Bilbo found himself face to face with Azog. Keeping himself between the orc and Thorin, Bilbo swung his sword uselessly as Azog's Warg snarled and prepared to launch itself at the hobbit,

"No!"

Bilbo watched in astonishment as Kili, Fili and Dwalin ploughed into the Warg, attacking it with their axes and swords. The orcs lunged at them but the three dwarves used their small size to avoid their attacks. Leaving his brother and Dwalin, Kili looked round at the carnage before him. The fires stung his eyes and he had to squint in order to see through the flames. His heart jumped into his throat as he saw the still form of Arianna slumped by a large rock. He heard Azog shout something in Black Speech and Kili watched in horror as another Orc began dragging the lifeless body of Arianna towards a Warg. Kili sheathed his sword and brought out his bow. A single shot was all that was needed and as the dead orc fell back Arianna once again lay in a huddle on the ground. Kili gripped his sword fiercely and slashed out at any Warg or orc that dared try to get in his way. Dodging a blow from Azog's mace, Kili slid through the legs of several orcs and fell to his knees beside Arianna's body. Using the rock as a form of cover Kili placed her still form in his lap. He pushed her hair away from her face and without even thinking about it he gently kissed her forehead,

"Arianna?" he whispered urgently, "Arianna can you hear me?"

He shook her gently and her eyes flickered slightly, "Kili," she murmured. Kili held her close as tears fell from his eyes,

"Don't scare me like that again," he begged. Arianna fully opened her eyes and carefully crawled off Kili's lap and knelt beside him. Her eyes widened as she saw the chaos and she tried to get to her feet when Kili pulled her down,

"Kili let me help them!"

He shook his head, "I've said it once. I won't watch you get yourself killed,"

Arianna stared at him. As Kili turned to see Fili slashing angrily at a Warg she rubbed the place on her forehead where he'd kissed her. Shaking her head she gripped the sword in her hand. In truth the searing pain in her back meant that she was in no fit state to be of any use. She rubbed her eyes – even that small movement caused both pain and exhaustion; the use of her power whilst being so weak had drained almost all of her energy from her. Her eyes widened as she looked past Kili. He followed her gaze in time to see a huge group of giant eagles swooping towards them. Using their huge wings some blew the fire towards the orcs whilst others tossed Wargs over the side of the cliff with their talons. Everyone watched as one eagle swooped towards Thorin. Picking the king up in its claws the eagle rose into the sky. Scrambling to his feet Kili held Arianna in his arms as he watched the eagles grab dwarves from the tree.

"Kili!"

Kili turned to see Fili standing by the cliff edge. He frowned before seeing his brother pointing downwards. Kili frowned and was tempted to shake his head. Right now he didn't want to be anywhere near Fili. However he looked in the sky above him to see most of the eagles were now flying away. He looked down at the figure in his arms. If he stayed then both he and Arianna would be killed. He wasn't going to let that happen. Nodding Kili gripped Arianna who frowned at him. He smiled,

"Don't let go, and whatever you do don't look down,"

Arianna leant her head against his chest and shut her eyes. Kili took a deep breath and followed his brother as he leapt off the edge of the cliff. He could hear himself scream for an instant – convinced that he was going to fall until his body crashed onto the rocks below. Above him he could hear Azog roar with anger as his prey escaped his grasp. Kili's grip around Arianna tightened and he could hear her whimper from the pressure. Kili kept his own eyes shut during the jump and even when he felt the soft feathers of the eagle he kept them shut. It was only when he heard his brothers voice did he dare open them. Fili grinned at him before turning round. Kili looked around as he saw the rest of the company were also being carried by eagles. Either by riding them or being held in their talons. He held Arianna close to him as she sat between him and Fili – her own eyes looking round in wonder,

"Thorin!" Fili yelled. Kili followed his brother's gaze. His uncle was being held in an eagle's talon. But it was his pale, blood stained face and his limp body that worried Kili. He turned his gaze back to Arianna who was leaning against him. Her own face was pale but thankfully she was awake. As the sun rose higher into the sky Kili watched as the eagle carrying Thorin gently laid him down on the top of a huge bear shaped rock. Kili watched as Gandalf slid off his own eagle and bent over Thorin anxiously. As his own eagle landed Kili jumped off and gently pulled Arianna into his arms. She stood on her own two feet and gently pushed his arm away,

"Go to your uncle," she muttered weakly. Kili paused, torn between Thorin and Arianna. She pushed him forward,

"He's your family,"

Kili nodded and pushed past the other dwarves in time to see Thorin's eyes open,

"The Halfling," he gasped. Gandalf nodded happily,

"It's alright. Bilbo is here,"

Kili stepped forward to help pull his uncle to his feet. As soon as he was upright Thorin shook off the help and advanced on Bilbo,

"What were you doing? You could have gotten yourself killed!" He spat. Kili watched Bilbo's face fall and he glared at his uncle. Bilbo had saved his life and this is how Thorin chose to say thank you?

"Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you could not fend for yourself? That you had no place amongst us?"

Kili was about to step forward and say something on Bilbo's behalf when his uncle suddenly grabbed the hobbit and pulled him into an embrace,

"I have never been so wrong in my whole life,"

The company cheered and clapped at the astonished look on Bilbo's face. Thorin drew away and smiled at the hobbit,

"I am sorry I doubted you,"

"No I would have doubted me to, "Bilbo said, "I'm not a hero. Or a warrior…not even a burglar,"

Kili chuckled to himself at this. However, the laughter of the dwarves faded into silence as their gazes fell over the hobbits shoulder. Kili's eyes widened and he nudged Balin,

"Am I really seeing this?" He whispered. Balin winked at him before breaking out into a tearful smile,

"Yes laddie. Yes we are,"

The company stood at the edge of the rock as they looked across the horizon. In the distance they could see the small shape of a single mountain,

"Is that what I think it is?" Bilbo asked. Gandalf stepped up and nodded,

"Erebor – the lonely mountain. The last great dwarf kingdom of Middle Earth,"

"Our home," Thorin said quietly. Fili moved towards Kili who merely stepped even further away from him. Lowering his head Fili took a step back towards Arianna who was frowning at him. He shook his head as the sound of birdsong could be heard above him and as the dwarves looked up they saw a bird fly in the direction of the mountain.

"A raven," Oin held up his battered ear trumpet, "The birds are returning to the mountain,"

"That master Oin, is a thrush," Gandalf corrected the dwarf. Thorin looked down at Bilbo,

"Well we'll take it as a sign. A good omen,"

Bilbo nodded, "You're right. I do believe the worst is behind us,"

The company looked at the mountain for a few silent seconds. Over the past few weeks this quest had still seemed like a normal journey from one place to the other. Yet now that their goal was in sight… A sense of pride began to swell inside them as they looked at the mountain. It didn't matter what they faced from now on – they would reach Erebor. They would reclaim their home.

**Translations**

**Nuzdigid? Nuzgi gast? Ganzilig-I unarug obod nauzdanish, Torin undag Train-ob – **Do you smell it? The scent of fear? I remember your father reeked of it. Thorin, son of Thrain.

**Toralulu biriz – **They are mine!

**Worori-da – **Kill the others

**Sho gad adol – **Drink their blood

**Dorgizub nargzablat – **My master wants you

_**So then…hope nobody was disappointed by that chapter. Really wanted to do that scene justice so I hope I succeeded. Also…don't hate Fili for what he said….his reasons will become clear very soon. **_

_**Don't forget to review!**_


	21. Words of Love

_**Big thanks for all the views I'm getting from everyone.**_

_**maddQueen – Sorry for the feels in that chapter**_

_**Celebrisilweth – Glad the climax didn't disappoint.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – I don't hate Fili either….to be honest I think his reason is really sweet.**_

_**Eruwaedhiel95 – Don't worry…more is on the way.**_

Words of Love

The company stared at the sight of the Lonely Mountain for a few more minutes. The silence around them was deafening but each and every one of them was too awestruck to notice it. Kili nodded to himself as he tore his gaze away from the view and turned to check on Arianna. His eyes widened as he saw her kneeling on the hard rock; clutching her body in agony. Kili pushed past the others and reached Arianna in time to catch her shivering body. He pulled her close as she fell limp against his chest,

"OIN!" Kili shook Arianna's body but the only response she gave was for her head to loll against his shoulder. Swallowing the lump in his throat, Kili pressed a shaking hand to her neck - his despair becoming slightly relieved as he could make out a faint but steady heartbeat. Tears fell down his face as Oin placed a hand on Arianna's forehead before giving Kili a sad smile,

"What is it?" Thorin asked, worry filling his own voice. The dwarves clustered around and looked at the still form of Arianna in horror. Oin shook his head,

"She's lost a lot of blood. If she loses anymore then I fear…" he ignored the pain in Kili's eyes as Gandalf gently knelt over Arianna and stroked her hair - muttering something in a strange language. The company gripped each other as Arianna gave an agonising cry before falling lifeless in Kili's arms,

"What did you do to her?" Kili glared at the wizard who was getting to his feet. He smiled at the young dwarf,

"Her power…it's something I've never encountered before," he faced the rest of the company, "To be able to yield it properly requires great strength. By using it when most of her physical strength had been drained almost killed her," Gandalf placed a hand on Kili's shoulder,

"Do not worry master Kili. All I did was give her body a little extra strength to help with the healing process,"

Kili nodded gratefully as he picked Arianna into his arms. Her head moved and her eyes flickered,

"Kili?" her voice was barely more than a whisper. Kili nodded,

"I'm fine. We all are,"

Arianna nodded before shutting her eyes. Oin got to his feet and looked over at Thorin,

"Her wounds need healing immediately," Thorin nodded before scowling as Oin then added,

"As do yours,"

* * *

With Gandalf in the lead, the company slowly made their way down the narrow path that led from the top of the rock towards a large cluster of trees. If Kili could have had his way he would have carried Arianna all the way. However, the rest of the company were insistent,

"Lad she did this to protect us all," Gloin argued, "It's the least we can do for her,"

Kili nodded as he allowed Gloin to take Arianna from his arms. Throughout the short journey she had drifted in and out of consciousness. However, she didn't react as Gloin took her in his arms. As the company carried on moving Kili kept his head down. Fili had tried to come over and talk to him but Kili had simply ignored his older brother until Fili had gone back to join Ori and Dori at the front,

"Kili?" Kili looked up to see Thorin standing by him. They were both at the back of the group and Kili could see a strange look in his uncle's eyes. Thorin gently took his arm,

"May I have a word?"

Kili shrugged. Whatever he replied he knew Thorin would talk to him anyway. He also knew what the conversation was going to be about. Thorin took a deep and slightly hesitant breath,

"Kili…we need to talk. Do not think I haven't noticed there is something between you and Arianna"

Kili rolled his eyes, "Uncle not now." He wasn't ready to have this conversation with Thorin. Especially as there wasn't actually anything _happening_ between him and Arianna.

"Yes Kili, now." Thorin looked over at the limp figure of the girl. Sighing he turned back to Kili to see the fear on his nephews face as he too looked over at Arianna. Snapping his fingers Thorin quickly regained Kili's attention. He sighed,

"I know you care for her Kili. Bu these feelings you have…you cannot act upon them,"

"Why ever not? Don't say it's because I'm your heir because Fili's next in line, not me," Kili snapped harshly,

Thorin ran a hand through his hair, "Kili…she isn't one of us,"

Kili nodded sadly as he remembered his uncle's words, _"She's a human. It has everything to do with it,"_

Thorin watched his nephews face carefully as he carried on, "Our people will never accept her into the line of Durin,"

"Well luckily I'm not looking for their acceptance," Kili said harshly. Thorin narrowed his eyes,

"Listen to me. This infatuation you have…it stops now." Thorin folded his arms in the hope that – for once – Kili would listen to him. However his nephew shook his head,

"This isn't a simple infatuation uncle…I love her," he said the words quietly but they hung heavy in the air. Thorin's eyes widened as Kili nodded,

"She's my _hrun_."

Thorin knew the importance of saying those words. He turned back once more to look over at Arianna before turning back to Kili,

"Are you sure?" he whispered. Kili nodded,

"When I first met her I thought so. But then I saw her with Fili; the way they were with each other, the smile on her face as she looked at him – I wondered if she was meant for him instead. But after the…incident with the trolls I just knew,"

Thorin wanted to be happy for Kili. It was incredibly rare for dwarves to ever find their One and he was glad his youngest nephew had been able to find his. But even so he couldn't shake the bad feeling from the pit of his stomach. He bit his lip as he looked at Kili,

"Have you bedded her?" the question had been hanging in his mind ever since they had left Rivendell. Kili's mouth dropped open in anger,

"Uncle I have not…" he trailed off as he saw Fili looking at him. As soon as his brother had turned his back Kili glared at Thorin,

"I have not bedded her!" he hissed angrily, "Why would you even think that?"

"I saw you sneaking out of her room with your boots and coat," Thorin spat, "You couldn't have been blushing more if you tried,"

Shaking with anger Kili clenched his fists behind his back. The last thing he needed was to throw a punch at Thorin. Instead he raised his chin,

"She had been having a nightmare. A really bad one. I was trying to comfort her," Kili looked at the shame in his uncle's eyes, "I haven't even told her of my feelings,"

"Still," he said icily, "It's reassuring to see you still think little of me,"

Without giving Thorin a chance to reply Kili turned on his heel and joined Bofur at the front – once again ignoring his brother's calls. Meanwhile Thorin ran a hand over his face in shame. He knew Kili had come here to prove his worth. To prove he could be as good an heir as Fili. Thorin shook his head sadly as he thought back over his previous words. How could he have thought so little of his own nephew? However, another problem was nagging him. All of their lives it had always been Fili and Kili. They had been inseparable. Where there was one the other would always be far behind. Thorin had never known them even raise their voice to one and other. So to see Kili coldly ignoring Fili tore at his heartstrings. Whatever Erebor meant to him, Thorin knew it was worthless if anything happened to those two.

* * *

Eventually, Gandalf stopped in a small clearing and Dwalin gently lowered Arianna to the ground. She still hadn't come round although her body shifted slightly as she touched the hard ground. Kili placed her head in his lap as Oin sat beside her with a water skin,

"I need you to turn her over for me,"

Kili nodded and with some help from Bofur and Nori they managed to get Arianna onto her side. Oin nodded at Kili,

"Don't worry lad…this won't hurt her at all," he smiled before pouring the water down her back. Arianna's eyes flew open and she hissed at the pain, gripping Kili's hand so hard that he winced. Oin gave her an apologetic smile,

"I lied," a faint blush appeared on his face,

"I need to remove your shirt lass."

Arianna's head nodded although her eyes were only half open. The rest of the company respectfully averted their eyes as Kili pulled Arianna's tunic off – leaving it to hang round her shoulders to cover her chest. As soon as the fabric was away a sickened gasp flew around the company. Her back was covered in an uneven criss cross pattern of welts and the rest of her skin was heavily bruised. A sense of guilt filled the dwarves as they looked at what Arianna had been subjected to for their sakes. Looking at her side Kili felt bile rise in his throat as he saw the blackened burns on her skin. The dwarves stared at each other with a mix of horror and anger at the sight and Bifur muttered a vile curse under his breath with Bofur nodding in fierce agreement.

"What are these?" Fili gently pointed to the dark purple bruises that covered Arianna's arms. Oin sighed unhappily,

"They look very much like bite marks,"

"_Bites!"_ Kili felt the bile in his throat and for a second he thought he was going to be sick. The rest of the company all looked the same. Oin began dabbing at her wounds gently. The bites on her arm were no longer bleeding but her skin was covered in ugly purple bruises that caused nausea to settle in their stomachs. Kili's grip on her never let go and as Oin's cloth pressed against the worst of the cuts she winced in pain; tears trailing down her cheeks. Kili shushed her softly,

"Don't worry…it'll be over soon,"

Arianna didn't respond and Kili held her as Oin cleaned the blood from her arms. Every so often she'd give a small cry in pain and each time it happened it tore Kili's heart. Oin began to cover her back with a soothing mixture and as it settled into her skin her cries stopped as the pain began to subside. Once this was done he began to wrap a bandage around her lower back – covering the burns and the worst of the cuts,

"They don't appear to be infected," he reassured Kili who nodded with relief plastered on his face. Satisfied Oin looked at her arms,

"Rub this on them," he passed Kili a small bottle of thick white mixture, "It should help with the swelling,"

Kili nodded as Oin got to his feet, "Keep her warm. Make sure she has plenty of food, water and sleep."

As Oin moved towards Thorin and the rest of the dwarves moved away to start setting up camp Kili wasted no time in covering Arianna's arms with the salve Oin had provided. She hissed as his hands passed over the bites and despite the older dwarf's reassurance, Kili was still worried. Her face was still pale and he could see she was struggling to stay awake.

"Why won't you talk to Fili?"

Her voice was so quiet Kili thought he'd hadn't heard her correctly. The question was so out of the blue that Kili almost dropped the bottle of salve. He looked down at the concern on Arianna's face and he shook his head,

"It was just something he said," he muttered. He didn't want Arianna to know what Fili had said to him back during the orc attack. She had been through enough already. He pulled a clean purple tunic from her bag and looked away as she pulled her old one off her shoulders. Keeping his gaze averted, Kili knelt in front of her so the others didn't see anything. Arianna attempted to put her arms through the sleeves. As she winced several times he turned to look over at her. Her body stiffened and he shook his head,

"Don't worry. I won't look at anything. I promise,"

After helping Arianna into the tunic Kili saw the rest of the dwarves had started a fire. Arianna's eyes flickered as Kili scooped her up into his arms and sat her down by the warmth it offered. Covering her with his coat he moved away to allow her to drift into a deep sleep. Dori leant over Arianna and covered her with his blanket whilst Bofur placed her head in his lap and began giving her food from his own bowl. Kili gave Bofur a grateful smile. Stretching his back he winced as he felt a sharp pain rush through his own back. Whilst his thick coat had taken the brunt of the goblins whips Kili had a feeling his own back hadn't managed to escape unscathed. Picking up the bottle of salve he made his quietly made his way towards the nearby stream.

* * *

Fili watched silently as his brother pulled his tunic off. Although his wounds were nothing compared to Arianna's, the sight of the marks made by the goblin whips on his brothers back caused anger to run through Fili's veins. His fur coat had protected him although Oin had still insisted on bandaging a cut on his arm. Fili shook his head at the healer's protectiveness as moved forward and his boot stepped on a small twig. The sound echoed and Kili almost jumped out of his skin. As he saw Fili his eyes narrowed and he turned his back. Fili bit his lip – wondering if he should turn back. However, he shook his head. He needed to get this over and done with,

"Kee…"

"Go away Fili," the coldness in his little brothers voice was heart breaking. Fili sighed. Kili had every right to hate him. What he had said was wrong. But he'd had a good reason for saying it and he needed Kili to know that. Picking up Oin's little bottle Fili began to rub the mixture over his brothers back. Kili stiffened at his touch but sat there patiently until Fili was finished. Then he pulled his tunic back on and made to go when his older brother grabbed his arm. Kili tore away from his grip, glaring at his brother,

"How could you say she has no worth?" he cried, "Did you not see what she suffered in order to protect Ori? To protect us all!"

Fili bowed his head, "I didn't mean it like that Kili,"

"Well then why say it at all?" Kili said, exasperated, "She's saved us on so many occasions. She tried to free us from the trolls. She saved me from an orc. She tried to save Bilbo from falling to his death and she tried to kill Azog! How does she not have any worth to you?"

Fili bit his lip and Kili made to go when he grabbed his arm,

"Kili please…just listen to me. As far as I'm concerned no one in this company has more worth than you. I just…panicked,"

"Panicked?" Fili could see his brother's eyes watch him carefully and he nodded,

"I was scared that you were going to do something rash and that I would have to watch you die. I said she wasn't worth it because – to me - no one's life is worth more than yours Kili!"

Kili looked at the tears in Fili's eyes before looking down at his feet guiltily. Fili opened his mouth but was cut off as Kili embraced him,

"I'm sorry Fee," he muttered and Fili laughed,

"There's no need to be sorry Kili,"

As they drew apart Fili looked at Kili. Something was still bothering him and Fili had a feeling it was linked to the conversation he had been having with Thorin. As the two sat down by the river Fili tapped his little brother's shoulder,

"What did uncle say to you earlier?"

Kili paused – unsure if he wanted to tell Fili everything. However he had never kept secrets from his brother before.

"Thorin told me that our people will never accept Arianna and that acting on my feelings for her would be impossible,"

Fili took Kili's hand in his own and squeezed it, "Don't worry Kee… If this company can accept her then I'm pretty sure everyone back home will as well,"

Kili nodded uncertainly before punching the ground beside him. Fili watched him in astonishment as Kili unclenched his fist,

"Why did I even come on this quest Fili? Why am I here?"

"Because we are trying to reclaim our home," Fili thought he was being rational but Kili shook his head,

"But it's not home. Not for me. My home is where I was born. Where I spent my childhood with my family. Not a mountain that I've only ever heard stories about!"

Fili nodded in understanding. In truth he didn't think Erebor would ever truly be his home. But he was still puzzled over Kili's outburst. Fili had never seen his brother be so angry at anything before. Even when some of the dwarves back home had teased him for not having a proper beard. However, Fili's confusion was soon solved,

"Thorin doesn't want me here," Kili mumbled, "None of them do. They don't mind you because you're going to be king one day. But I don't have a place on this quest apart from being your little brother. And I'm sick of being treated like that and nothing else! Even Thorin does it although he always claims he doesn't. Why can't he just let me prove to him that there's more to me than being the little brother?"

Kili watched his brother's face and he sighed to himself. Fili could never understand how he was feeling. All of his life Kili had listened to his mother and Uncle praising Fili for this, that and the other. It had never used to bother him. Kili had always been proud of Fili – he still was – and was convinced he would be a great king one day. But during the past six or seven years Kili had grown tired of always being in his brother's shadow. Never being seen as anything but Fili's younger brother who went everywhere with him. That was why he had come on the quest. To show his mother, Thorin and Fili that he could be just as good an heir as Fili was. Kili ran a hand through his hair,

"I thought he would be happy for me to have found my One," he said absentmindedly, "But even that isn't good enough for him,"

Fili drew his brother close.

"So then…I'm to have Arianna for a sister in law?" he joked in an attempt to get Kili to smile. However his brother simply shrugged,

"Don't get your hopes up. I still haven't told her I love her yet,"

As a tear fell down Kili's cheek, Fili held him close – the way he had done when Kili had woken from a bad dream. Kili sniffed as more tears fell,

"Nothing I do or say will ever make him proud of me Fee," he sniffed, "Nothing at all."

A noise beside him made Fili jump and both he and Kili looked up to see Thorin looking down at them, tears in his own eyes. Kili swallowed nervously as Thorin knelt down in front of his nephews,

"Do you honestly believe that?" Thorin asked gently. Kili sighed before nodding. To his surprise Thorin suddenly pulled both him and Fili into his arms – the way he had done when they were both small. Holding his nephews close Thorin looked over at Kili,

"I am sorry for ever making you feel that way Kili," Thorin swallowed the lump in his throat, "I want you to know that I have always been proud of you right from when you were born." He looked at Fili, "I am always proud of both of you,"

Kili gave his uncle a smile and Thorin lowered his gaze,

"I also want to apologise for what I said to you earlier. I shouldn't have thought so little of you and Arianna and for that I ask for your forgiveness,"

"It doesn't matter Uncle," Kili managed to say. Thorin placed a hand on his shoulder,

"I am happy for you Kili. To find your _hrun_…it's something that no one can take away from you no matter who she is,"

_**So then…the aftermath of the battle. Also, got my little Doctor Who quote in which I couldn't resist.**_

_**I'm afraid the next couple of chapters are going to be more like fillers so I can fill the gap between the first and second films. Hope everyone liked the little moments between Fili and Kili and Thorin…those three never really get a chance to show how much they care for each other so I really wanted to bring that across.**_

_**Don't forget to let me know what you think.**_


	22. Ambush

_**Big thanks to LitterBoxParty and StarlessGalaxies for following the story.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – Glad you loved the chapter so much you cried….I mean that in the nicest way possible I swear.**_

_**Marina Oakenshield – I'm just waiting to find the perfect moment for Kili to tell her – I want it to be as emotional as possible.**_

_**Eruwaedhiel95 – That's why I wanted to have almost a whole chapter between those three because the films don't really show the bond between them.**_

Ambush

When Kili woke the sun was streaming through the trees. He slowly turned his head to see Arianna's head on his shoulder, her arm around his chest. He hurriedly looked round to see if anyone else was awake. As he saw the rest of the company were all still snoring he smiled to himself – perfectly content to remain like this for as long as possible. Arianna mumbled something under her breath but her eyes remained shut. Kili looked at her arm that was draped over him. Her sleeve had ridden up during the night and his eyes spotted the white scars that lined her arm. He traced the marks with his finger as anger coursed through him. These weren't random scars that had been received over a long period of time. They were far too uniform for that. Someone had done this to Arianna deliberately. Kili swallowed nervously as he felt movement beside him. He turned to see Arianna staring at him with wide eyes. Kili didn't say anything as she moved her arm away and pulled her sleeve down. Instead he fixed her with a soft smile,

"How do you feel?" he whispered. She nodded weakly,

"I ache…all over," she groaned. Kili chuckled and as she realised where she had been sleeping Arianna sat bolt upright – crying out from the burning pain that shot through her whole body. Kili was beside her in an instant and she swallowed nervously,

"Sorry for…sleeping on you," she stammered. Kili frowned at her actions and before she had a chance to move away he reached over and grabbed her arm,

"How did you really get those scars on your arm?" he whispered softly as the sound of the rest of the company waking up could be heard. Arianna bit her lip,

"It's not important," she pulled her arm away, "And it's nothing for you to worry about,"

"Arianna…"Kili trailed off as the rest of the company began to wake up. When they saw Arianna was awake they all rushed towards her. If Oin hadn't gotten in the way then Arianna would have ended up being crushed by the company,

"Mind the ribs!" Oin cried out as the dwarves sat down beside Arianna who grinned at them all,

"What can I say? You aren't getting rid of me anytime soon,"

The company laughed but Dwalin placed a hand on Arianna's shoulder,

"What you went through…you shouldn't have done it just for us,"

"Listen to me. You're the closest thing I've had to family since Rivendell…and I'll always do anything for my family,"

The dwarves nodded silently and Arianna found Bilbo sitting near her. She carefully put an arm round his shoulder and held him close,

"Our burglar's a hero lass," Bofur cheered as Bilbo blushed,

"Well…I wouldn't say hero…"

"Nonsense!" Bofur cried, "Ye saved Thorin's life back there,"

Arianna turned to look at Thorin who was smiling at Bilbo. However, she noticed that as his gaze moved towards her the smile left his face. Accepting the offered stew from Fili Arianna swallowed nervously as Thorin sat down in front of her,

"I don't believe you had a chance to answer my question. Why did you never tell us about your power?"

"Uncle…" Fili rolled his eyes and Balin nodded,

"Thorin give her time to rest,"

Thorin shook his head, "No…I need to know about this," he stared at Arianna, "You are going to tell us everything."

Arianna nodded, "I began to develop it when I was in my early twenties. It was the reason the Kira Katil wanted me. An assassin with magic – what could be more dangerous? Only I couldn't fully control it. After a while I just stopped using it, no matter how many times I was punished. I was too dangerous if I tried to wield it,"

"You seemed fairly in control back on top of the cliff," Thorin said quietly. Arianna nodded,

"Over the past few years there have been situations where I've been in control. Back on the cliff," she looked at Kili, "The ambush by the hidden pass,"

Kili swallowed as he remembered the silence that had followed Arianna's screams that day. He inched closer to her but she ignored him,

"But there's no guarantee I can control it. I can in some cases but with others…" she faced Thorin and looked him in the eye,

"Other time's it's made me a monster. An abomination,"

The company looked at each other nervously. Fili and Kili shared a look and Fili remembered the state of the bodies of the slave traders,

"You killed those two slave traders didn't you?" he knelt beside her. Thorin raised an eyebrow,

"Slave traders?"

Arianna waved a hand, "They aren't important," she faced Fili, "And yes…that was me. It's a move known as the Cut. I'd explain it but…we'll…you've seen what it does,"

Fili nodded and Kili could feel Arianna tremble,

"I never meant to kill them," she whispered, "It was an accident,"

Kili placed an arm over her shoulder, "We know Arianna. We know,"

As Thorin got to his feet Arianna looked at him, "Thorin…I would never hurt anyone in the company. I swear it,"

He nodded slowly before moving off to collect what remained of his pack. The rest of the company waited for a few seconds before following suite. Kili hugged Arianna close as Thorin called out,

"We leave as soon as possible,"

Arianna looked over to see Gandalf standing above her. He gave her a soft smile,

"If I could possibly have a word Arianna?"

Kili hesitated but Arianna nudged him and he got to his feet to follow his brother. Arianna hugged her knees as Gandalf sat down beside her.

"What you did back on the cliff Arianna…" he began. Arianna sighed,

"Gandalf it was just instinct. It doesn't make this power of mine any better,"

Gandalf sighed, "Arianna…why will you not embrace your gift? If used properly then your gift could be of great help to the company,"

"Exactly," Arianna said, "_If_ used properly. Gandalf there is no guarantee I will ever be able to use my power properly. People have died because of it and I don't want to risk harming any of the company,"

Gandalf gave her a soft smile, "You are far stronger than you know Arianna. You need to trust yourself and others,"

Arianna smiled and Gandalf wondered if he should tell her what Lady Galadriel had shown him. That without Arianna's power the coming darkness would become impossible to defeat. He shook his head. She already had a huge weight on her shoulders – by adding to it Gandalf feared he would only make things worse.

* * *

The company carried on making their way through the forest. Gandalf and Thorin led the way whilst the dwarves took in in turns to carry Arianna. At first she had shook her head and insisted on walking,

"I'm not a cripple. I'm quite capable of walking," she'd pleaded. However Dwalin shook his head and picked her up in his arms,

"It's Oin's orders I'm afraid,"

Arianna had sighed but as the company's journey wore on Kili noticed that after a few hours Arianna had fallen into yet another deep sleep. As Fili passed her over to him Kili held her close. Although they had all taken turns in carrying Arianna, Kili couldn't help but notice the nervous looks on several of the dwarf's faces. He bit his lip. He couldn't deny the fact that Arianna's power scared him ever so slightly. To have such power at your disposal… It was no wonder she'd kept quiet about it,

"I see you made up with Fili,"

Kili looked down at Arianna's smiling face. He grinned,

"It was nothing more than a misunderstanding," he shook his head. Arianna squirmed in his grip,

"Please put me down Kili. You can't carry me all day…I won't let you,"

Kili sighed as he set her on her feet. Arianna grinned at him although she noticed that he still kept an arm round her waist. She smiled to herself as the company finally made their way out of the forest and onto a large stretch of open countryside. As he waited for the final members of the company to catch up Thorin looked behind them. So far he had seen no trace of Azog. However, he knew that the pale orc wouldn't give up the chase so soon. Running a hand through his hair Thorin sighed inwardly. He had no idea what to do. He'd never imagined that the company would be on the run from a pack of orcs led by Azog. As he looked up at Gandalf he could tell that even the wizard was unsure about what was best to do. Gandalf stuck his staff into the ground and moved towards Thorin,

"I think it would be best if we camped here tonight,"

Thorin stared wide eyed at the wizard. This place was so exposed! Anyone and anything could see them. He shook his head but Gandalf sighed,

"Thorin…they can't go on for much longer."

Thorin followed the wizards gaze and saw that the company were almost dead on their feet. They had been travelling all day without any breaks and Thorin knew they would need to rest soon. He looked up as Kili and Fili helped Arianna sit down on the grass and he found himself nodding his head,

"Very well Gandalf. But we leave at first light,"

As soon as they heard they would be setting up camp the smiles on the dwarves faces grew bigger. Arianna stifled a laugh as Bilbo all but collapsed beside her. All around her the company were working as fast as possible to get a fire going in order to get to sleep as soon as possible as the sun began to sink in the sky.

"Fili, Kili, take the first watch," Thorin instructed. Fili nodded whilst Kili sat down beside Arianna,

"Get some sleep," he whispered. Arianna was tempted to shake her head. She hadn't had a nightmare last night and she had a feeling that it was Kili's presence that had stopped that. Kili smiled at her,

"We'll be right beside you," he whispered; almost as if he'd sensed what she was thinking. Arianna nodded before lying back on the soft grass. Her heart hammered against her chest as she felt Kili's hand interlink with hers.

* * *

The moon was high in the sky when Arianna woke up. Turning over she saw the single figure of Fili sitting by the fire. He smiled at her and Arianna realised that Kili was fast asleep beside her. Stretching she forced herself to her feet and stepped over the sleeping dwarves to join the blonde prince

"I take it Thorin won't be too happy if he wakes up and finds Kili asleep will he?" she asked. Fili shrugged,

"He was paying more attention to something else anyway,

Arianna blushed and Fili grinned, "So then…our assassin has a hidden sensitive side after all,"

She nudged him and he smirked before his face became more serious,

"Arianna…I know you care for my brother. I know you care for him a lot."

Arianna didn't say anything and Fili sighed at her, "Everyone in the company – save Kili – can tell you like him. Why not just put him out of his misery and tell him?"

"Because…" Arianna didn't know what to say. Fili inched towards her,

"He wouldn't think twice of giving up his life to save yours you know," he whispered.

"Which is why I can't tell him!" she burst out, "I have people hunting me…probably for the rest of my life. If they were to find out how much Kili meant to me… I just want to keep him safe!"

Fili snorted "And you think going on a quest to fight a dragon and reclaim a lost treasure is safe?"

"You love him Fili," Arianna reasoned, "Wouldn't you do anything to keep him safe?"

Fili nodded and the pair sat in silence for a bit. Arianna could sense that Fili – and the others for that matter – were far more nervous around her than they had once been. She was reminded of when they had first found out she was an assassin all those months ago. She sighed; it was a natural reaction they were having and she shouldn't be angry at them for having it.

"Arianna," Fili's voice was low and out of the corner of her eye Arianna saw him pull out his sword. She narrowed her eyes and he gave a small nod of the head in the direction behind him. Arianna pulled out her own sword. Her arms were still sore from the goblin bites but she gritted her teeth and ignored the pain in her back as she got to her feet along with Fili,

"What is it?" she hissed. Fili gave a small shrug before turning round – sword raised. Nothing stood behind him and yet Arianna had a strong sense that they were being watched. She opened her mouth to tell Fili when she spotted a dark shape coming from the forest that they had just left. Gripping her sword tightly, Arianna feinted left before lunging at the bulk of an orc scout. It dodged the blow and swiped at her – missing by inches. With a yell Fili jumped onto the orcs back and slashed at it with a dagger. It roared in pain and as it did so Arianna shoved her own sword through its chest. With a feral snarl the orc shook Fili from its back and the dwarf fell to the ground with a loud groan. It fell down onto one knee and Arianna moved to deliver the killing blow when a huge swipe from its fist sent her flying. She gasped in pain and clutched her chest in agony. Looking round she saw her sword had been knocked from her hand. Jumping to her feet she saw the orcs' roar had woken the rest of the company who had all grabbed their own weapons and were rushing towards it. Arianna watched in horror as two more orcs burst from the trees and launched themselves at the dwarves. She couldn't see Kili although she could hear him yelling somewhere behind her. Looking round she saw the first orc lay dead on the ground and another one fell to its knees. Her heart leaped however when she realised that the third one was nowhere to be seen. A high pitched snarl came from behind her and she turned to see Fili and the orc grappling with each other,

"FILI!" Both Thorin and Kili looked on in horror as the orc knocked Fili's sword from his hand and lunged at him. Jumping backwards Fili pulled out two large throwing knives and went to throw them when the orc knocked him to the ground. Thorin and Kili began running forward but they were too far away. Arianna clenched her fists tightly as she felt her power rush through her body. The orc's sword rested against Fili's throat and she knew she had one shot at this. Throwing a hand out Arianna watched with horror as a blast of white light shot from her palm and hit the combined mass of Fili and the Orc – flinging them both into the air. The orc gave a dying screech as it hit a nearby tree with a sickening crunch. Meanwhile, Fili instead landed a few feet away on the soft grass. Nausea churned in Arianna's stomach as Fili's head lolled against the ground and his eyes flickered shut.

"NO!" Thorin pushed past the others and sank to his knees by Fili's limp body. The dwarves all stared at Arianna, who put a shaking hand to her mouth,

"I didn't…it was an accident," she stammered as tears fell down her face, "I didn't mean to hit him,"

Both Bilbo and Bofur gave her comforting hugs whilst Kili stared at her before running to Fili's side. He stroked his older brother's hair gently,

"Fili?" he whispered, "Come on _nadad_."

Fili shifted his head and mumbled something. Kili clasped Fili's hand tightly and bowed his head in relief. Thorin placed a gentle kiss on his nephew's brow before getting to his feet and rounding on Arianna,

"You almost killed him!" he roared, unsheathing his sword and launching himself on Arianna who dived sideways and grabbed her own sword. As the blades clashed the rest of the company backed away whilst looking on silently. None of them dared say a word. Oin moved to tend to Fili who was slowly starting to come round. Kili meanwhile watched on, gripped by fear. Arianna might be an accomplished assassin but right now Thorin's rage was fuelling his fight and Arianna was still weak from her injuries. Unable to watch, Kili helped a groggy Fili sit up,

"What happened?" Fili winced at the pain in his head. Kili helped him get to his feet in time to hear the dwarves cry out. Both brothers looked on in horror as Thorin twisted Arianna's sword from her hand and delivered a hard punch straight to her face. Arianna stumbled backwards and fell to the ground. Thorin yelled again as he placed his sword against her throat,

"Thorin!" Balin cried out, moving forward. However, Thorin gently pressed the tip of his sword into Arianna's skin,

"You were right," he hissed darkly, "You're an abomination. Azog should have killed you when he had the chance,"

"THORIN!" Gandalf roared. The sound of the wizard's voice brought Thorin back to reality. He glared at Arianna one last time before slowly backing away and sheathing his sword. Balin moved forward and pulled Arianna to her feet. As he offered her a cloth for the blood that covered her face the rest of the company seemed unsure of what to do. Arianna held Balin's hand tightly as she saw Fili walking towards them – being helped by Kili and Oin. Arianna bit her lip as Fili looked over at her,

"I didn't mean…it was an accident," she stammered. To her surprise Fili gave her a weak smile,

"I know," he hissed as he felt another sharp pain in his head. As Oin helped Fili sit down Arianna lowered her head as Kili moved towards her,

"Kili!" Thorin barked, "Here, now!"

Kili opened his mouth but Thorin shook his head, "NOW!" he yelled. As Kili moved towards his uncle Arianna was shocked to see the rest of the company were still standing beside her,

"Lass…" Bofur gently reached for her hand but Arianna shook her head,

"I could have killed him," she whispered. Her legs shook and Balin gave her a gentle hug,

"But you didn't. We know you would never intentionally hurt any of us lass,"

Arianna nodded as the rest of the dwarves gave her sad smiles before walking off. She moved towards her own bedroll when she found Thorin standing beside her. His eyes still blazed with anger as he looked over at her,

"You are only remaining in this company due to Gandalf's powers of persuasion," he spat, "But if I see you anywhere near either of my nephews then I will not be responsible for my actions,"

Arianna nodded meekly before sinking to her knees. Thorin turned to the rest of the company,

"We move again as soon as the moon is high," he snapped. The company nodded as they began to pack up the remainders of their belongings into their packs. Ori moved towards Arianna to help her but was stopped by an icy glare from Thorin. Giving Ori a small smile Arianna turned her back on the rest of the company as tears coursed down her face. She slowly pulled out a small knife and held it against the skin of her arm. Silent tears trailed down her face as she felt the blade cut into her arm. She felt no pain as she saw the blood trail down her arm. More tears fell down her face although she made no sound. Allowing the knife to fall from her fingers she pressed a shaking hand over her wounds to try and cover them up as she shut her eyes. Thorin's words ringing in her ears.

Meanwhile, Bilbo sat watching the crying figure of Arianna. During the orcs attack he'd stayed towards the back with Ori and Dori. Now he sat by the fire and his heart tore as he saw Arianna hurt herself. The rest of the company weren't even looking anywhere in her direction and he had been about to go over to her when the knife fell to the ground and she shut her eyes. Bilbo's eyes strayed to the figure of Thorin whose eyes never left Kili. Although Bilbo could understand Thorins outburst he felt a surge of anger towards the dwarf king. Thorin had had no excuse for saying what he had said to Arianna. Bilbo silently fingered the golden ring in his pocket. Ever since he had left the goblin tunnels he'd felt the small weight of the ring start to grow and grow. Somehow, Bilbo felt he should tell Gandalf of his find and of his meeting with Gollum. He felt bad by keeping it a secret. Yet…why should he tell Gandalf? It was none of the wizard's business. After all, it was Bilbo's ring. It was his precious.

**Translations**

**Nadad – **Brother

_**So then…bit of a busy chapter. I got a bit carried away when writing it (as you can tell I'm sure). Would like to apologise for the title of this chapter but I was really struggling to find something suitable.**_

_**Would love to hear your thoughts as always.**_


	23. Remorse and Resolution

_**Thanks to all who have contributed to my 7,000 PLUS views! Big thanks to SilverSea123, SpiritualWolf13, kblatz, tarrrajane and thebananakepeper for following my story.**_

_**Marian Oakenshield – There have been many moments when Thorin has deserved a bitch slap.**_

_**Eruwaedhiel95 – Glad you think I filled the gap between the two films well. I was never really happy with the way film 2 began and I wanted something to happen before it. Also…I plan to keep up the awesomeness!**_

_**Celebrisilthweth – I didn't want Kili's choice to be an obvious one and yes….the tension is definitely rising! **_

_**Thebananakeeper – I'm sorry about the feels!**_

Remorse and Resolution

The company travelled in silence for two more days. Kili and Fili kept close to Thorin at all times and Arianna travelled at the back. Her shoulder was really starting to hurt and when the company stopped for a short rest she'd taken the opportunity to look at it. The skin around the goblin's bite was red and swollen, and the actual wound itself was starting to look infected. Arianna tried her best to keep it clean but her shoulder was in agony every time she tried to move it. With the exception of Thorin, Fili and Kili, the rest of the company still spoke to her although it was always when Thorin wasn't looking. Each and every one of them had said they didn't hate her for what happened. However, Arianna could still see the fear in their faces and she noticed that they were very careful around her. She had a feeling that the large bruise on her face had something to do with it. She'd woken up one day to find her nose had swollen and the skin around it was heavily bruised. As soon as Kili had seen the damage caused by his uncle he'd made his way over towards Arianna. However his brother's grip stopped him in his tracks,

"Thorin's watching," Fili hissed. Kili sighed,

"This is madness Fili!"

Fili nodded, "He needs time to calm down. Then he'll see that he overreacted,"

Kili nodded as Thorin stepped up beside the pair,

"Fili, Kili…up front where I can see you,"

Fili nodded whereas Kili glowered at his uncle coldly before following his brother. So far they hadn't seen any more signs of the orc pack. However, Thorin wasn't taking any chances. Any breaks they had were short and sweet and they would only stop to make camp when they couldn't see where they were putting their feet. Within a few days the whole company were ready to drop dead from exhaustion and Arianna was no exception. Her back didn't hurt as much as it used to but the bite on her shoulder was becoming a real problem. As Thorin allowed the company to rest in the sheltered space of a group of rocks, Arianna gingerly pulled her shirt away to look at the wound. Her stomach churned at the sight and she quickly covered it up – leaning against a large rock to catch her breath,

"Master Baggins," Thorin gave Arianna a cold look before turning to Bilbo, who forced himself to his feet,

"I want you to go and scout for any signs of the orc pack,"

Bilbo's face fell but he simply nodded and scurried away like a mouse. Arianna shifted her position slightly and winced as she pulled on her injured shoulder,

"Let me have a look at that,"

Arianna shook her head but Oin simply sat down by her and reached for her shirt. Arianna leant away and Oin frowned at her,

"It's nothing," she lied, "I'm fine,"

He raised an eyebrow, "Well you don't look it Arianna,"

Arianna sighed as Oin gently pulled away her shirt to get a better look at the bite. His eyes widened as he looked at the swelling around the bite. He gently poked it and Arianna couldn't help but give a small cry,

"Sorry," Oin muttered. Arianna looked up to see the rest of the company staring in her direction. Kili made a move towards her but Thorin blocked his way. As his gaze bore into her Arianna pulled away from Oin and got to her feet,

"What is it?" Thorin muttered. Arianna lifted her chin up,

"It's nothing," she snapped, moving away to sit in between Balin and Gloin. For a split second Arianna could have sworn she saw a flash of worry appear in Thorin's eyes. However, as he turned away she pushed down on that thought. She heard a rustling behind her and as Bilbo jumped down from the rocks above Arianna's hand drifted away from her sword. As everyone looked at the fear on his face they realised that the inevitable had happened,

"How close is the pack?" Dwalin growled, axe in hand. Bilbo shook his head,

"Too close. A couple of leagues, no more. But that's not the worst of it,"

"Have the Wargs picked up our scent?" Dwalin asked. Bilbo shook his head and Gandalf frowned,

"Did they see you?"

"No…that's not it," Bilbo said indignantly and Gandalf smiled,

"What did I tell you?" he looked triumphantly at the others, "Quiet as a mouse. Excellent burglar material,"

Bilbo stared as the dwarves began nodding and talking among themselves,

"Will you listen-will you just listen? I am trying to tell you that there is something else out there,"

A horrible silence fell on the company. Gandalf narrowed his eyes,

"What form did it take? Like a bear?"

"Bilbo frowned, "Yes. But bigger, much bigger,"

"I say we double back," Bofur piped up. Dori and Ori nodded but Thorin shook his head,

"And be run down by a pack of Orcs?" he growled. As the dwarves got louder and louder Gandalf stepped forward,

"There is a house. Not far from here,"

"Whose house?" Thorin asked suspiciously, "Is he a friend or foe?"

"He is neither," Gandalf sighed, "He will either welcome us…or he will kill us."

Arianna watched as the dwarves turned to each other with worry. She rolled her eyes,

"What choice do we have?" she asked quietly. Thorin glowered at her but he gave a small nod,

"None," Gandalf replied darkly, "Come on!"

* * *

The company broke free from the small section of forest just as the sun rose into the sky. Ahead of them lay a large field with a huge cottage in the middle of it. Behind them a loud roar broke the silence of the morning and Arianna turned to see a huge black bear burst through the trees, chasing the company. She bit her lip, forcing her legs to move faster. She ignored the unbelievable sight of Bombur running past each and every single dwarf until he was in the lead. The roars became louder and louder as the first few dwarves through themselves against the door to the house,

"Open the door!" Gandalf yelled as the bear grew dangerously near. The company battered and smashed the door but it refused to budge,

"Quickly!" Thorin yelled. Arianna pushed herself through the huddled group, pushed the bolt upwards and with a startled cry the door swung open. Scrambling to their feet the dwarves ran inside and turned in time to see the bear advancing on them,

"Come on lads!" Dwalin yelled. The dwarves pushed the door shut but the bear's huge head had managed to worm its way through. Arianna watched as Bilbo pulled out his small sword and levelled it at the bear. With a final cry the company pushed the door closed as the bears growls got fainter they slowly moved away,

"What was that thing?" Ori piped up as Dori pulled him away from the door, Gandalf sighed,

"That…is our host,"

The dwarves, Bilbo and Arianna stared at Gandalf in horror. The wizard merely smiled,

"His name is Beorn. And he's a skin changer," Gandalf stood by the door, "Sometimes he's a huge black bear; sometimes he's a great strong man. The bear is unpredictable but the man can be reasoned with. However," he glanced at Thorin, "He's not overly fond of dwarves,"

Thorin eyed Gandalf warily as the rest of the company began moving away from the door. Gandalf smiled,

"We will be safe here tonight. I hope," he added under his breath.

* * *

Kili tossed and turned on his makeshift bed of hay and straw. Although the rest of the day had passed quietly, the company still had doubts about staying in the house. Having to sleep surrounded by farm animals had done nothing to calm their nerves. Rolling onto his side Kili saw the curled up form of Arianna, sleeping a few feet away. Not being able to be near her tore him apart and every time he looked at the bruise on her face – the one caused by his own uncle – he felt as though a knife was being shoved through his heart. After looking around to make sure Thorin wasn't looking he slowly crawled over towards Arianna and lay down beside her. She fidgeted in her sleep and he wondered if she was having a nightmare. Kili wrapped his arm round her and he frowned as her body began to shake. Tightening his grip he looked over to see tears coursing down her face. As her sobs got louder she rolled over and buried her head against his chest as he stroked her hair,

"How can you bear to be near me?" she said through her sobs, "How can any of you stand to be near a monster?"

Tears formed in Kili's own eyes as he pushed her hair from her face and stared hard at her,

"Never. Ever. Say that about yourself," he said darkly. "There are plenty of monsters out there…and you are not one of them,"

"I never meant to hurt Fili," Arianna whispered. Kili snorted,

"Hurt him? All he got was a headache. Not exactly what I'd call a battle scar,"

Arianna giggled through her tears and Kili held her against him,

"What my uncle did…what he said,"

"Kili its fine," Arianna muttered. Kili shook his head,

"He overreacted. He overreacted badly. But…me and Fili are the closest things he's ever had to sons. You have to understand that he can be incredibly protective over us,"

"Kili I do understand," Arianna reassured him. However Kili placed a finger against her lips,

"But…" he added, "He _will_ apologise for what he said and for what he did to you,"

Arianna nodded before realising that both she and Kili were holding each other. Her face brushed against his chest and as his hands trailed through her hair she pulled away. Kili narrowed his eyes,

"Arianna I…"

"Good night Kili," Arianna hurriedly turned over and shut her eyes in the hope that Kili would think she was asleep. Her heart sank as she heard him get up and move away. Every time he looked at her it got harder to try and squash down her feelings for him. She knew she had to try and keep her distance from the dwarf prince. Yet when they were travelling together that was almost impossible. Arianna turned over onto her side and looked around at the small huddles that were the sleeping company. Shutting her eyes a small tears fell down her face as she knew what it was she had to do. It wasn't just enough to keep Kili safe. She had to keep them _all_ safe. And there was only one thing she could do to achieve that. Getting to her feet Arianna brushed the straw from her clothes. A small smile appeared on her face as she thought back to how she'd tried to stop Bilbo from doing the very thing she was going to do,

"At least I have a decent reason," she whispered to herself and she picked up her pack before kneeling down beside Kili. Her fingers gently ran through his hair and he mumbled something in his sleep. Arianna bit her lip as she placed a gentle kiss behind his ear before getting up and heading for the door.

* * *

The horses that were in the stables behind the house were a little big for her. However Arianna wasn't going to start being fussy. She felt a pang of guilt for stealing one of her unknown host's horses. However, she would never be able to get a decent start if she travelled by foot. As she tied her pack to the saddle her heart jumped into her mouth as she heard footsteps behind her,

"Is this how you solve your problems? By running away?"

Arianna scowled as she turned to see Thorin standing in the open doorway. She shook her head,

"Whatever you want to say I don't want to hear it. If anything you should be happy,"

"Happy?" Arianna was shocked to hear sadness in Thorin's voice, "Why would you leaving make me happy?"

"Do you not remember your words?" she growled, "I'm doing what you want. Staying away from Fili and Kili. By tomorrow morning you won't have to ever think about me again,"

She made to jump onto the horse when Thorin grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. Arianna's other hand reached for her sword but he gently released her and lowered his head,

"Those things I said to you that night. I know I can never take them back or make you forget about them. But I want to apologise…I let my temper get the better of me,"

Arianna folded her arms. Thorin was going have to pull out all the stops if he wanted this apology to work. The dwarf king shuffled his feet awkwardly,

"Those boys…they're the son's I never had. If anything were to happen to them…Erebor means nothing to me if those two aren't there with me,"

Arianna gazed at Thorin in disbelief. She rubbed her nose and then instantly regretted it as she brushed against her bruise. Her mind still ran over Thorin's words to her. Although he didn't know it, his words were not too dissimilar to Jared's words that night he'd forced himself on her. And yet with Thorin, Arianna could see the reason why he'd said what he'd said. She understood it was his love for Fili and Kili that had caused him to react the way he had. She sighed and smiled at Thorin,

"I understand why you did what you did," she whispered, "But it doesn't mean I'm not going,"

Thorin's head snapped up, "You're just going to leave? Without so much as a goodbye?"

"I have to," Arianna's voice cracked and Thorin shook his head,

"And how do you think the others will react when they wake tomorrow? How do you think Kili will react?"

Arianna turned away to hide her face, "Don't try that one me Thorin. Don't you _dare_ try to guilt trip me! I'm doing this to keep Kili and the others safe,"

Thorin opened his mouth but she cut him off, "I have trained assassins hunting me. Hasn't it crossed your mind that they might use any member of the company to get to me? I won't risk their lives. I'd rather die first,"

Thorin listened intently; admiring her spirit and bravery. However, he still shook his head and moved towards Arianna who simply glared at him,

"I'm leaving," she said. However, Thorin could hear the uncertainty in her voice. He gave her a soft smile,

"We know you're being hunted," he whispered. Arianna's eyes widened,

"How?"

He shook his head, "We aren't stupid you know. We've known ever since we left Rivendell,"

"But…why not say something?"

Thorin laughed, "Because we knew you'd tell us to stop being so protective over you. You're a member of this company – you deserve our protection,"

Arianna could feel the lump in her throat. She watched dumbly as Thorin untied her pack and began to walk through the door. She folded her arms,

"I could still turn around and leave you know,"

He nodded, "You could. But somehow I don't think you will. After all, if Master Baggin's is still with us…I imagine you will be to,"

He turned and strode away from the stables, leaving Arianna alone with her thoughts. Leaning against the horse she had been planning to steal, Arianna ran a hand through her hair. Part of her still thought that leaving was the best thing to do. Even if the company knew she was being hunted she still wanted to keep them safe. And yet… Arianna smirked as she realised how hypocritical she was being. She didn't want the dwarves being overprotective with her…yet that was what she was doing to them! As the sun began to stream through the open door Arianna knew she was never going to leave…she knew in her heart that she couldn't leave Kili. She couldn't leave any of them behind. Not really.

_**So then…we've reached the start of 'The Desolation of Smaug'. Once again a bit of a filler chapter in places so sorry about that. Also yet another Kili/Arianna moment I hope you all enjoyed.**_

_**Always appreciate people's feedback.**_


	24. The Skin Changer

_**Wow! Almost 7,500 views! Big thanks to .1217 and applepip13 for following my story.**_

_**Eruwaedhiel95 – Don't panic there will be plenty more Kili and Arianna moments.**_

_**Ec1aire – I wanted to give Thorin a soft side as he can come across like a bit of a git at times. Really happy you think this is one of your fave stories to read – that really means a lot and I hope it stays that way.**_

_**Celebrisilweth – I think Thorin's smugness will never truly go away…and you've got to feel sorry for Arianna….every time something seems to be going right something ends up changing things. I think her brain is in a bit of a mess at the minute and she has no real idea what best to do.**_

The Skin Changer

With the exception of Bilbo – the entire company were all wide awake when Thorin and Arianna returned. Taking her pack from Thorin's hands Arianna ignored the confused and questioning glances that were being thrown her way. Instead she merely gave Fili and Kili a smile that – she hoped – reassured them that everything was alright. The dwarves all stared at each other as both Thorin and Arianna nodded at each other before going back to their respective beds. Dumping her pack down on the hay Arianna smiled softly to herself as she saw the curled up figure of Bilbo. The hobbit's nose twitched as a rather large bumblebee flew past it before settling down on his hair.

"What happened?"

Arianna bit down on her cry of pain as Fili's hand landed on her injured shoulder. Taking a step back she simply shrugged,

"I don't know what you mean,"

Fili snorted, "Don't insult my intelligence please. One day Thorin tries to kill you and the next, he's treating you like normal,"

Arianna looked over to see Thorin in deep conversation with Gandalf and Balin. The worried frowns on their faces bothered her slightly. She knew that Durin's day couldn't be that far away,

"Arianna?"

"Sorry," she turned back to Fili and smiled at him, "We just talked. Straightened a few things out you might say,"

Fili nodded before looking past Arianna's shoulder to see Kili standing nervously in a corner. Arianna frowned at the smile on Fili's face and followed his gaze. A lump formed in her throat as Kili gave her a warm smile and for a few seconds she wondered if she was making the right decision. Turning back to Fili she blushed as he winked at her before moving past towards Kili. Arianna turned to follow when the door burst open and a giant man strode into the house. His skin was a pale brown colour and he wore dark leather trousers and a waistcoat. His animal eyes searched the room and as they landed on the dwarves his eyes narrowed in anger. Within seconds everyone had drawn some sort of weapon and clustered together around the still sleeping form of Bilbo in an effort to shield him from the giants view. Both Arianna and Kili fitted arrows to their bows and aimed them at the visitor. Arianna gritted her teeth as the pain in her shoulder began to intensify as she pulled on her bowstring.

"Hold your fire," Thorin whispered in their ears. The dwarves nodded although Arianna could see they were inching for a fight. The man glared down at them all,

"What are DWARVES doing in my house!" he bellowed. Several members of the company swallowed nervously as the giant advanced on them.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Everyone – including the giant man – turned around to see Gandalf striding forward angrily. He sighed as he saw the weapons in the dwarf's hands and he turned to the giant with a soft smile,

"They are friends of mine Beorn,"

The dwarves looked up at Beorn in shock. Thorin was the first to step forward,

"You are the skin changer," he said bluntly. Beorns eyes flashed angrily as he nodded before turning to Gandalf,

"You did not say they were dwarves Gandalf,"

"Yes I'm sorry about that," Gandalf gave a quick bow, "But we needed shelter and I didn't have time to warn you,"

"This shelter…" Beorn looked around at the company, "It wouldn't have been from a pack of Orcs by any chance?"

Arianna looked around at the rest of the company who gave small nods as they sheathed their weapons. As her shoulder began to burn she quickly removed the arrow and dropped the bow on the floor. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Oin looking worriedly at her but she forced a smile onto her face and he looked away. Arianna then moved her gaze back to Beorn who was nodding at something Gandalf had said. As the wizard moved away the skin changer turned back to the dwarves,

"You must be hungry," he growled, "I will get you some breakfast,"

Breakfast turned out to be a chunk of bread and a glass of milk each. However, everything in Beorns house was so large that the food they had was more than enough for the dwarves. Arianna sat in between Fili and Kili and drank greedily from the mug. She could see Kili grinning at her as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand,

"My table manners are pretty shocking aren't they?"

Kili shrugged, "You're incredibly neat compared to us,"

Arianna laughed as she looked around the table. Bilbo had woken up a while ago and was now having his own jug of milk being poured for him. Arianna smiled as she saw the hobbit's mouth drop open at the size of their host. However, his was quick to hide his astonishment from Beorn himself, who then turned and fixed his sights on Arianna,

"You are no dwarf," he said. It was a statement and not a question. Arianna nodded nervously and Beorn frowned,

"Why are you travelling with them?"

Arianna licked her lips, "I am…I was an assassin,"

Beorn raised an eyebrow, "So you are protecting them?"

Arianna shrugged and Beorn gave a small satisfied nod before moving round to look over at Thorin "So, you are the one they call Oakenshield?"

Thorin merely nodded. Beorn placed his jug of milk back on the table,

"Tell me…why is Azog the defiler hunting you?"

The company all stared at Beorn in shock. Only Gandalf's face remained the same,

"You know of Azog?" Thorin asked, "How?"

"My people were the first to live in the mountains - before the orcs came down from the North. The defiler killed most of my family. But some he enslaved. Not for work you understand, but for sport. Caging skin changers and torturing them seemed to amuse him,"

Arianna saw the tears in the skin changers eyes and she gave him a soft smile as – beneath the cover of the table – Kili gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. The milk churned in her stomach. She had killed yes. But never for her own amusement.

"There are others like you?" Beorn turned to look at Bilbo and he sighed sadly,

"Once there were many,"

"And now?" the rest of the dwarves looked uncomfortably at each other and Beorn turned to the hobbit,

"Now there is only one,"

A soft silence fell on the room and Arianna noticed everyone looking at Beorn with sympathy in their eyes. It was the same look they had given to her when they found out what had happened to her own family. Gently shaking his head Beorn turned back to Thorin,

"You need to reach the mountain before the last days of autumn?"

Thorin stared at Gandalf who merely winked at him, "Before Durin's day falls, yes," the wizard took a pipe from his robe and lit it.

"You are running out of time," Beorn observed and Gandalf sighed,

"This is why we must go through Mirkwood,"

Arianna froze slightly and she turned to look over at Gandalf.

"Mirkwood? Are you sure?"

He nodded sadly and she took a shaky breath. Beorn frowned at the wizard,

"A darkness lies upon that forest. Foul things creep beneath those trees. There is an alliance with the orcs of Moria," Arianna heard Thorin mutter a curse at those words, "and the Necromancer in Dol Guldur. I would not venture there except in great need," Beorn looked around him as the dwarf's shared nervous glances. Gandalf took his pipe from his mouth,

"Which is why we will take the elven road. That path is still safe," he ignored the cold look Thorin shot his way. Beorn snorted,

"Safe? The Wood Elves of Mirkwood are not like their kin. They're less wise and more dangerous. But it matters not,"

"Why is that?" Thorin asked darkly. Beorn glared at Thorin as he slowly moved around the table,

"These lands are crawling with orcs. Their numbers are growing, and you are on foot. You will never reach the forest alive," his hand caressed a small white mouse and the company held their breath as he picked it up in his huge paw,

"I don't like dwarves. They're greedy and blind, blind to the lives of those they deem lesser than their own,"

Arianna looked at the anger on the dwarf's faces and she couldn't help but mirror that anger. If Beorn had seen how she had been treated then maybe he wouldn't have said those words. However, the skin changer fixed Thorin with a small smile,

"But orcs I hate more. What is it you need?"

* * *

As Thorin and Gandalf took Beorn aside for a private conversation Arianna hissed with pain as her shoulder continued to burn,

"Sit down lass," Oin appeared beside her and she shook her head,

"I'm fine,"

However, the old dwarf wasn't taking no for an answer. Placing a hand on her uninjured shoulder he sat her down on one of the benches that surrounded Beorns table. Arianna opened her mouth but then shut it as Oin gently pulled her shirt away from her shoulder. His eyes widened and as Arianna took a look for herself she bit down on a curse. Her whole shoulder was red and the area around the wound was heavily inflamed. Sticky stuff was coming from the bite itself and the sight made her stomach crawl.

"It's infected," Oin muttered before staring at Arianna,

"Why did ye not tell us?"

"Tell us what?" Bofur piped up cheerfully. He came round and his mouth dropped open as he saw Arianna's shoulder. She gave him a smile,

"I'm fine Bofur,"

"Ye not a good liar lass," he added. Arianna's head snapped up as she saw Fili and Kili moving towards her and she pulled her shirt over the wound. Oin frowned at her but she shook her head,

"I don't want Kili to see," she whispered, "He'll only go and blame Thorin or Gandalf or someone,"

Oin nodded and he waited until Fili and Kili had wandered past before taking another look at the wound. Pulling out some herbs from his pack he told Bofur to get a bowl of water. He looked over at Arianna,

"This will hurt," he said gravely, "It's going to hurt a lot,"

Arianna shrugged, "Trust me Oin…I can take the pain,"

Oin sighed as Bofur returned with the water. Arianna watched with interest as the old dwarf began crushing the herbs together in the water. Her attention was drawn away however, when Bofur placed a wet cloth over her shoulder and began to clean the wound. Pain shot through her arm and she gripped the edge of the bench so hard her knuckles looked as though they were going to pop out. As he removed the cloth Bofur gave her an apologetic smile as Oin faced her with a disgusting, dark brown mixture in his hands,

"Are you sure you can take it?"

Arianna nodded, everyone else had moved outside – leaving just the three of them – and so even if she did cry out no one would hear. Oin pressed the crushed herbs into the bite. Arianna threw back her head and shut her eyes, grimacing as the pain in her shoulder exploded. She felt Bofur's arms grab her round the waist to stop her from falling and as Oin covered the bite with the mixture she could feel her body spasm in an attempt to get away. Tears leaked from her eyes as the pain grew and grew and she could heard Bofur's voice in her ear,

"It's alright lass. It's going to be alright,"

Arianna managed a weak nod as the pain began to subside. As she slowly opened her eyes she could see Oin stepping back, wiping the remnants of the crushed herbs from his hands. Bofur's grip on her waist vanished and, using her good arm, Arianna pushed her hair from her forehead as Oin began attempting to bandage her wound.

"It'll be a while before you can put your archery skills to good use," he said, "But it should heal soon,"

Arianna nodded her thanks before getting to her feet and heading outside for some fresh air. As the clear morning sun hit her face she smiled as she heard several of the dwarves yelling at each other. Looking round she saw they had made a small makeshift arena and were busy sparing with each other. Arianna shook her head as Fili and Kili gave each other cocky grins before making their way into the circle. Making her way towards the dwarves Arianna watched as the two brothers sparred. They were well matched but already Arianna had a feeling Fili would win – mainly because he was older and had more experience. The dwarves looked over and nodded greetings to her before turning back to the fight in time to see Fili knock his brother's sword arm aside before kicking his feet out from under him. As Kili fell to the ground Fili aimed his sword at his little brother in a sign of victory. Kili grinned before getting to his feet,

"Of course I let you win," he joked. Fili raised an eyebrow,

"Of course you did," Fili laughed as the rest of the dwarves began getting their own weapons,

"Right then," Gloin announced, "Winner stays on. Who's next?"

Dwalin hefted his own huge sword and was about to step forward when Arianna pulled out her own blade and stepped forward as well. The company stared at her and she saw the worry on Fili's face. As Dwalin stepped back she gave Fili a sweet smile which only resulted in him shaking his head,

"No Arianna…you're injured,"

Arianna rolled her eyes, "Fili I'm fine. You were all injured as well but you're fighting,"

"Yes but…we weren't _tortured_," Fili hissed and Arianna sighed dramatically,

"Please Fili. I can't just sit and watch…the temptations too much," she winked at him, "Scared I'll beat you?"

Fili raised an eyebrow as he twirled his sword, "You know I won't go easy on you,"

"Humour me," Arianna got into her fighting stance and gripped the blades hard. Her shoulder hissed with pain but she didn't need both hands to use a sword. Fili lunged at her but she had been expecting that. Diving to the side she spun round and with a flick of the wrist hit him on the back with the flat of her blade – causing him to stumble slightly. He frowned at her,

"Don't worry," she grinned, "I won't make you look like a fool,"

He lunged again but at the last second changed direction and their swords clashed. Arianna gritted her teeth as – for a few seconds – their blades pushed against each other. Winking at Fili she kicked out at his ankle and broke away from him. He hissed in pain and shot her a look,

"Right," he muttered. Arianna smiled sweetly as Fili blocked her next two blows and tried to land his own when she jumped over the blade and struck him on the arm. As the fight carried on Arianna could see Fili was tiring. She gripped her blade,

"One thing you should know when fighting me, Fili,"

"What?" he asked breathlessly and she grinned,

"Don't get cocky,"

He frowned at her. Within that split second Arianna twisted his sword from his hand and rested her own blade against his neck. Fili swallowed nervously as she took a step back. Behind her she could hear several cheers from the rest of the company and as she let Fili pick up his sword she swung her own,

"Right then. Who's next?"

They carried on fighting all morning. For Arianna, sword fighting was like dancing. If you did a wrong step then you lost the momentum. She noted that each fight with the dwarves was like a completely different dance. They all had their own fighting styles.

And she beat them all.

It was getting late in the afternoon when Dwalin stepped forward, wielding his own weapon. Arianna swung her sword, ingoing the sharp pain in her body. Dwalin looked at her closely,

"Ye sure ye can go on lass?"

Arianna snorted, "I'm just getting warmed up,"

Both she and Dwalin lunged at the same time and their blades clashed. Breaking apart Arianna pushed her hair from her eyes and both she and the warrior dwarf began to circle each other. She kept an eye on where he put his feet. Footwork was always a big give away when a person was about to do a move. Ducking a high aimed strike from Dwalin Arianna could feel her limbs start to get heavy. Elbowing him in the chest and spun round and tried to land a blow only the find Dwalin's own sword blocking her path. Taking deep breaths Arianna knew she didn't have the strength to keep up the fighting. She kept making small but stupid mistakes and she knew this fight was one she would probably lose. Dwalin winked at her and Arianna felt her legs being kicked out from underneath her. As she landed on her back she looked up to see Dwalin's sword aimed at her neck. They both stared at each other for a second before the big dwarf held out a hand and pulled her to her feet.

"Not bad Arianna," Fili said, "Not bad at all,"

Arianna sheathed her sword and grinned. She turned to find Kili watching her – his face full of awe at what he'd just seen. Arianna made a step towards him when she heard Thorins voice behind her,

"I think that's enough fighting for today," he said quietly, "We leave for Mirkwood first thing tomorrow,"

The dwarves nodded at each other and began moving back into Beorns house. Arianna wiped the sweat from her forehead and took a deep breath. She'd enjoyed herself during those fights. Even though she knew her body was going to be aching again tomorrow, it had been worth it. Although she'd seen the dwarves fight before she'd never had a chance to fight against them. Looking down at herself she shook her head. She wouldn't mind having a bath. However, she had overhead the dwarves talking about going to bathe in the river and she had no intention of bathing anywhere near a group of thirteen dwarves.

"What is it little human?"

Arianna looked up to see Beorn standing over her. She swallowed nervously,

"Well…I don't suppose I could have a bath?"

Beorn chuckled and led her through a door and up a large flight of stairs. He opened a door and Arianna saw a large metal bowl in the middle of a room. She frowned in confusion but Beorn smiled,

"I had it prepared for you earlier. I thought you might want to…clean up in private,"

As he shut the door on her, Arianna wasted no time in stripping off and sinking into the blissfully warm water. Although her back stung as the water washed over the welts Arianna allowed her body to go limp in the water. As she shut her eyes she could feel her heart pounding. Tomorrow they would have to go through Mirkwood.

* * *

When the company returned from bathing in the river they found both Arianna and Bilbo sitting by the table in deep conversation. The dwarves looked at Arianna in surprise as they found that she too was soaking wet. She grinned at them,

"I went outside for some fresh air…and then decided I needed a bath,"

Arianna smirked as the dwarf's faces went bright red. Bofur stepped up first,

"Err…was it…by any chance…did ye go to the river?"

Arianna struggled to keep a straight face. Leaning back she watched as the dwarf's blushes grew and grew and in the end she just shrugged; stifling a laugh as they all looked at each other in horror. The face of Kili was the best. He was busy looking down at his feet but Arianna knew his face couldn't possible get any redder. The dwarves began to mutter to each other and – with a pleading look from Bilbo – Arianna shook her head,

"Or maybe Beorn let me use his bathroom. I couldn't remember,"

The dwarves stared at her in horror,

"That wasn't funny!" Kili burst out. Fili nudged him,

"Well…maybe it was brother," he winked at Kili who blushed again. The dwarves shook their heads at Arianna who looked over at Bilbo who was busy trying to contain his laughter.

"We should get some rest," she said to him softly, "Big day tomorrow,"

* * *

The sun was starting to rise in the sky as the company reached the edge of Mirkwood. Beorn had leant them his horses and the dwarves had been perfectly willing to ride animals that were too big for them if it meant not having to walk. As they looked up at the entrance to Mirkwood, Arianna's stomach began to churn,

"This forest fells sick," Bilbo muttered and Arianna nodded,

"As if a disease lies upon it," she added before turning to Gandalf, "Is there no way round?"

"Not unless we go two hundred miles north, or twice that distance south," Gandalf said sadly. He jumped down from his horse and moved towards the entrance of the forest,

"Set the horses loose. Let them return to their master,"

Arianna jumped from her horse and turned to help Bilbo down. There hadn't been enough horses and so he'd chosen to ride behind her for the journey. As she looked over at the dwarves Arianna could see none of them were happy about having to do this. She saw Fili and Kili step up beside her, grim expressions on their faces,

"Can we not go another way?" Kili asked, a touch of worry in his voice. Arianna shook her head,

"If Durin's day wasn't so near…I think we would take another path,"

Arianna looked up to see Gandalf looking at one of the trees that lay at the very start of Mirkwood. He gazed at his thoughtfully before his face clouded over and he strode back to the others,

"Not my horse! I need it!" he shouted. Dwalin grabbed onto Gandalf horse to stop it from running off. Bilbo stared at the wizard,

"You're not leaving us?" he pleaded. Gandalf sighed as the company glared at him,

"I would not do this unless I had to,"

Arianna's stomach churned. Going through Mirkwood was bad enough – but to go without Gandalf? She had a feeling that things were going to get decidedly worse for the company without the wizard. She looked over to see Gandalf and Bilbo talking in low voices and as she looked at their faces more worry passed through her mind. As he jumped onto his horse Gandalf turned to Thorin,

"Whatever you do, stay on the path. If you lose it…you'll never find it again,"

Thorin nodded as Gandalf turned his horse round and rode back the way he had come. Arianna turned to look at Fili and Kili,

"Well that was comforting advice," she tried to smile but knew she was failing. Kili looked at her,

"Don't worry," he said, "I won't let anything happen to you,"

Arianna swallowed nervously as she, Fili, Kili and the rest of the company began to make their way into Mirkwood.

_**Not fully happy with how this chapter turned out but I hope it's okay for everyone. So then…we've now entered Mirkwood and we all know what happens in there! Don't forget to let me know what you think. **_


	25. Webs of Fear

_**Almost 8,000 views! Big thanks to killer4853 for following the story.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – Glad you found it amazing!**_

_**Aine88 – I'm always a bit worried about how the Arianna and Kili moments come across because romance isn't really my strong suite. **_

Webs of Fear

The elven road through Mirkwood was covered in old leaves and dirt. Every few minutes the dwarf in front had to bend down and brush the dirt away in order to see where to go. Arianna kept herself in between Kili and Fili. The trees that surrounded them loomed over them, their black braches cutting off the sunlight. As she forced her feet to move Arianna could feel the air getting heavy around her. Her legs were trembling and as she looked around her she saw the rest of the company were in a similar state. Her mind had completely lost track of the time. They could have been travelling for minutes; hours; _days!_

"Arianna!"

Arianna's head jerked at the sound of her name. She felt someone's arms slip round her waist to catch her as she stumbled backwards. Looking up at Kili's face she quickly righted herself and eased out of his grip. She could see him frowning at her, as if he was trying to work out what she was thinking. Swallowing nervously she turned but Kili reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her round to face him.

"Why was Thorin carrying your pack this morning?" he was keeping his voice low as the rest of the dwarves stumbled past – leaving the two of them at the back. Arianna shook her head and tried to pull out of Kili's grip but he held onto her. She glared at him but as she saw his big brown eyes looking at her she allowed her face to soften,

"Were you…were you going to leave?" Kili asked her. His voice cracking ever so slightly as the pair of them forced their way along the path, always making sure to keep the others in sight. Arianna shut her eyes before nodding. She didn't want to see Kili's face at this point. She didn't want him to misunderstand her reasons for doing so.

"Why?"

Arianna flashed him a small smile as she removed her arm from his grasp,

"Because I was afraid. I don't want any of you to get hurt because of me,"

To her surprise Kili's face broke into a slight smile, "For a second I thought it was because you secretly hated us,"

Arianna bit down on her laugh, "Kili…I'm not going to get tortured for people I don't like,"

She had tried to say it lightly but Kili's face clouded over with anger and sorrow and she quickly shook her head,

"I'm sorry," she whispered, taking her hand in his, "I didn't…"

They were still at the back of the group and Kili slowly drew her close,

"What you went through was pure hell," he whispered, "But having to listen and know nothing could be done was far worse," Kili watched Arianna's face as she thought about this. He sighed to himself as he remembered being forced to listen to her pain racked screams. He remembered the rage that was running through his body as well as the knowledge that he was powerless to do anything except listen. As he and Arianna tagged onto the back of the group Kili could feel his head spinning. Holding a hand to his forehead he winced as a rush of pain shot through his head.

"We'll camp here tonight," Thorin's voice called. The dwarves all stopped and sank to the ground in exhaustion. They had been moving at a snail's pace all day and yet they felt as if they had walked to Erebor and back. Stretching out her legs Arianna saw the figure of Bilbo out of the corner of her eye. He had his back to her but she could see he was examining something in his hand. Something small…and gold.

"How are ye lass?" Oin gave her a comforting smile and she nodded. Her shoulder still pulled a little when she moved it. Fortunately she had been trained to use both hands when fighting and so she wouldn't have to give up her bow just yet. Pulling her quiver towards her, Arianna's heart sank as she realised she was almost out of arrows. She looked around her – if this was any other forest she would have gone off to make some. But this was Mirkwood. Drawing her knees to her chest Arianna gave a small shudder. Bilbo was right. This forest felt sick. The rest of the dwarves were soon asleep and snoring as though they were in their own beds. Looking to her side she saw Kili sitting against tree, chucking a small stone into the air and catching it in his hand absentmindedly,

"What is that?" Arianna leaned forward. Kili caught the stone and stared at her,

"It's a talisman," he said softly but not meekly, "A powerful spell lies upon it If any but a dwarf reads it then they will be forever cursed!"

The intensity of his eyes and the harshness of his voice made Arianna sat back slowly. Biting her lip she shuffled backwards when Kili gave a cheeky smile,

"Or not,"

She looked up at him and he winked at her, "Depending on whether or not you believe in that kind thing. It really is just a token," he smiled and Arianna smiled back, slightly annoyed for believing him in the first place. Kili stared at the rune stone in his hand,

"My mother gave it to me. So I would remember my promise,"

"What promise is that?" Arianna's hands lingered over her own necklace. Kili gave her a soft smile,

"That I would come back to her,"

They both stared at each other for a second and Kili leant his head against the tree, "She worries about me. She thinks I'm reckless,"

"Are you?" Arianna flashed him a smile and he shook his head. She raised an eyebrow before bursting into laughter,

"Well that's a lie if ever I heard one," she grinned, and Kili laughed with her,

"Says the one who jumps onto trolls, attacks an orc by herself and insults a goblin king!"

Arianna nodded at his point. Clutching the stone tightly Kili settled down onto the ground. Arianna pulled her knees closer to her chest and shivered. Kili frowned before holding out his arm. After a brief pause Arianna crawled towards him and leant against his body as his arm draped round her shoulder. Kili looked down at her in concern,

"What is it?"

"It's this place," she muttered, "There's no light anywhere," Arianna tilted her head upwards towards the sky,

"No moon, no stars…nothing but darkness,"

Kili looked over at her hunched up figure, "I saw a fire moon once," he said softly. Arianna looked up at him and he saw the spark of interest in her eyes. He sat up a little,

"It rose over the pass near Dunland. Huge, red and gold it was! We were an escort for some merchants from Ered Luin; they were trading in silverwork for furs. We took the greenway south, keeping the mountain to our left, and then it appeared. This huge fire moon lighting our path…" he trailed off and gave Arianna a soft smile,

"I wish I could show it to you,"

"It sounds so beautiful," she whispered, her eyes shining. Kili nodded,

"Like you," he whispered. Arianna blushed and Kili swallowed nervously as he realised he's said the words out loud. He ran a hand threw his hair before shutting his eyes. When he opened them he saw Arianna watching him carefully and Kili took a deep breath,

"Arianna…I have to tell you something,"

She sat up a little and Kili cleared his throat nervously, still unsure if he should do this. He shook his head, he wanted to tell her. He _had_ to tell her now otherwise he had a feeling he never would,

"Arianna…I told you about how dwarves have a One. How I dreamt about what my One would be like,"

Arianna nodded slowly as a small smile crept onto her face. Kili could feel his heart pounding against his ribs and it was taking all effort to keep his gaze fixed on Arianna's eyes. In the end Kili realised he was just going to have to come straight out with it before he bottled it. Arianna gazed up at him,

"You said she had fire in her eyes. That she appeared to be thick skinned but was caring…and beautiful," she was aware of Kili shuffling closer towards her, of his arm moving from her shoulder and taking her hand in his own,

"What I never said was that I think I've found her; my One. She's…breath-taking! I can't take my eyes off her. Even when I go to sleep I see her in my dreams. When I look into her eyes I see that fire burning brighter than any star in the sky. And she's never afraid to fight for those she loves…no matter what happens to her."

Arianna was aware of Kili closing the distance between them. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes and as she looked at Kili she saw him gazing longingly at her,

"Do you think she could love me?" he whispered softly. The words stung Arianna's heart. It wasn't the fact that Kili had told her how he felt. But the fact that he thought himself not worthy of her love. Gripping his hand she inched closer to his face and placed a gentle kiss on his mouth,

"Yes," she whispered, "Yes I could,"

Kili smiled through his coming tears as he held her hand whilst gently placing his other hand against her cheek to draw her closer to him. As their lips met he found himself being gentle with her. He could sense her nervousness as well as his own. He gently cupped her face in his hands as her own fingers ran through his hair. To his surprise however, he found Arianna was starting to relax. She pressed her mouth to his firmly, as if kissing him gave her the air she needed to survive. When they broke apart neither knew how long the kiss had lasted. Kili licked his lips, her mouth tasted like honey and up close he could see her eyes were several different shades of blue, all melting into each other. Arianna sat back and he couldn't help but grin,

"_Mahal!_ I've wanted to do that for a long time,"

Arianna blushed as her fingers brushed over her mouth. Kili had clearly done this before. Her gaze flew to the sleeping dwarves that lay around them and as her eyes settled on Thorin she swallowed nervously. Kili shook his head and pulled her close,

"Don't worry," he whispered, "He knows how I feel,"

"You mean you told Thorin before me?" Arianna pretended to be outraged but she couldn't stop smiling. Kili sighed,

"Actually I told Fili before anyone else,"

Arianna snorted with laughter at Kili's face. As she looked up at the tree branches above them a sudden wave of tiredness began to creep over her. She watched as Kili settled down on the ground and she made to turn away when he held out a hand,

"Come here," he whispered. It wasn't an order but more of an invitation. Silently Arianna lay down beside him and allowed his arm to wrap itself around her waist – pulling her towards Kili,

"Get some sleep," he muttered as he shut his eyes. Arianna nodded but her own eyes remained open. As she looked at the sleeping dwarves around her she couldn't help but feel a cold sense of dread creep up her spine.

* * *

"Look at the pair of them,"

"Should we wake them up?"

"Might be best before Thorin see's,"

As the voices of the company ran through her mind Arianna kept her eyes shut. Kili's arm was still round her waist and she could feel his lips brushing against her neck. She tried to ignore the voices when she heard Fili's enter the mix,

"Leave them be. This is far more amusing,"

It was at this point that Arianna opened her eyes. As she looked up at the faces of the company she felt a blush rise on her face. Nudging Kili she gently pushed his arm off her and got to her feet.

"Anything ye'd like to explain to us lass?" Bofur asked with a cheeky grin on his face. Arianna bit her lip as she watched Kili wake up. He frowned as he looked at the empty space where her body had been a few moments ago. However, the frown turned into blushing as he saw the dwarves looking down at him. Arianna smiled as she turned back to the rest of the company. Their grins were getting wider by the second and she shook her head,

"I'm sure you can work it out for yourself Bofur,"

As the dwarves muttered to each other Arianna's sharp eyes caught Gloin passing Nori a small pouch. She narrowed her eyes and he looked at her sheepishly,

"You were _betting_ on…this?" Arianna placed her hands on her hips and Gloin shrugged,

"Just a wee wager lass…just for fun,"

"So…are you two…" Bilbo trailed off. In response Kili slipped his arm round Arianna's waist and placed a gentle kiss on her neck. The company's smiles froze as they heard the sound of someone clearing their throat impatiently. Kili looked sheepishly at Thorin who merely gave the pair a soft smile before moving to inspect something sticky that covered one of the trees. His hand reached out for the web covered tree, but at the last minute he stepped away, a look of repulsion on his face,

"We move on. Dwalin, you lead,"

The warrior dwarf hefted his axe in his hand as he led the company along the pathway that ran through the forest. Forcing their way on the air seemed to cling to the dwarves, halting their pace and almost forcing them to stop,

"Air! I need air!" Bofur cried to himself as he clutched at his head. Arianna kept her head down, trying to keep her eyes focused on the path. She squinted as she looked at the ground. Even under all these leaves she could see no sign of the stones that made up the elven road. She looked up to point this out to someone when her eyes widened in horror.

"No!"

_Her head snapped from side to side as she realised she was no longer in Mirkwood. The forest had instead been replaced by a huge rocky plain. Looking up Arianna saw the vast shape of the Lonely Mountain before her. She gasped slightly as her gaze flew back to the wasteland she stood in._

_A battle field._

_Arianna's stumbled forward, her head spinning as she looked at the butchered bodies that lay around her. Tears coursed down her face as she looked at the bodies of elves, men, orcs and dwarves! Her feet stood on something soft and as she bent down to see what it was Arianna's blood froze. Her hands reached down for Bofur's blood stained hat and her body began to shake. Holding the hat against her chest she forced her way forward, passing more and more bodies,_

"_Arianna,"_

_She spun round at the voice. Her eyes scanned the wasteland before her,_

"_Arianna,"_

_The voice was familiar. She shook her head, it sounded so far away and yet so near at the same time. Her legs shook and she fell to her knees, crushing Bofur's hat against her body. Lifting her head she saw the hunched figure of Thorin. He hadn't seen her and his gaze was fixed on the ground beside him. A glimmer of hope swelled inside Arianna as she pushed herself to her feet and towards Thorin. At the sound of her footsteps he lifted his head and one look at his grief stricken face stopped her in her tracks._

"_Fili…Kili…" his voice broke off as tears ran down his face. Arianna looked down at the ground beside Thorin and as she saw the lifeless body of Fili in his arms she could feel her insides churning. Thorin cradled the body of nephew but Arianna's eyes were already looking around her. The ground was covered in bodies, the air silent save for Thorin's cries of rage. And it was then that she saw him. Her feet were running before she even realised it. Collapsing beside Kili she grabbed at his cold hand and held it in her own,_

"_No," she whispered, "Please…no,"_

_Kili's lifeless eyes stared up at her; his skin almost white and three arrows sticking out of his chest. Shaking uncontrollably Arianna pressed his hand against her lips. Screaming as a rush of blackness enveloped her._

"Arianna!"

Arianna's eyes snapped open as Kili shook her hard. Looking around she saw the rest of the company were all staring at her in horror. Groaning she got to her feet and clasped her shaking hands behind her,

"What happened?" her voice sounded dull and heavy. Shaking her head to clear the fog Arianna winced as she felt a burning pain behind her eyes. Fili sighed,

"We don't know. One minute you were fine and then the next…you just collapsed."

Arianna nodded – more to herself than anything, "I…I wasn't in Mirkwood,"

"What do you mean?" Thorin asked quietly. Arianna bit her lip,

"I was on a battlefield. There were bodies everywhere…and then I saw…"

She broke off, shaking her head to try and clear the thoughts from her mind. Allowing Kili to pull her close she took a deep breath to calm herself,

"I will not be afraid," she muttered fiercely, No matter what happens,"

"This forest is playing with us. Messing with our heads," Gloin growled angrily. The rest of the company nodded and Kili put an arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head,

"Whatever you saw," he said softly, "It wasn't real."

Arianna nodded, but inside she knew what she had seen was real. She swallowed her tears as her mind ran through what she had seen. At the end of this quest…this company was going to die. The dwarf she loved was going to be killed. They were all going to be cut down one by one, butchered like animals.

"We need to get out of here," Kili said firmly as he held Arianna close. Thorin nodded,

"Keep moving,"

The dwarves nodded to each other but found themselves unable to move anywhere. Thorin frowned as the dwarves began shoving and pushing at each other. Trying to get the one in front to move forward,

"My head, it's spinning," Oin cried out. Ignoring the older dwarf Thorin pushed past the others to find Nori staring into space,

"What's happened? Why have we stopped?" he growled, desperation filling his voice. Nori gave a small shake of the head,

"The path," he raised his hand, "It's disappeared,"

Thorin looked down to see his feet standing at the edge of a huge cliff. His heart sank and he could feel his head start to spin.

"What's going on?" Dwalin growled,

"We've lost the path," Oin shouted back. The dwarves looked at each other in horror and Arianna gripped Kili's hand tightly. He gave her a reassuring hug but as she looked into his face she could see he was equally scared,

"We need…we need to find the path," Arianna could hardly get her words out. Her breathing was becoming more laboured and her head was still spinning. She moved to look behind her when Kili held her back,

"Wait," he pushed her in front of him, "We need to stay together. If we get separated now…"

He didn't need to finish his sentence. Arianna nodded as the rest of the dwarves began looking down at the ground and muttering angrily to themselves,

"I don't remember this place," Balin leant against a thick tree, "None of this is familiar,"

"It's got to be here somewhere," Dori muttered. Arianna stuck close to Fili and Kili who were both kicking up leaves and dirt from the ground in the hope of finding some sign of a pathway. Looking up she saw grey clouds looming overhead, blocking the sun from her sights,

"Is there no end to this accused place?" Thorin yelled angrily. The company clustered around him, shouting and yelling in anger at each other. Arianna glared at them when her gaze turned to Bilbo who was staring at one of the huge spider's webs. Her heart leapt into her throat as he reached out and plucked one of the strands. Arianna shut her eyes in despair as the web shook – sending vibrations throughout the whole of the forest.

"Keep going east and we'll find our way through this forest!" Dwalin shouted above the yelling dwarves,

"Which way is east?" Bofur cried, "We've lost the sun!"

The dwarves shouting got louder and louder and Arianna forced her way into the huddle,

"Will you just SHUT UP!" she shouted. All at once everyone feel silent and turned to face her. Shaking her head Arianna moved towards one of the huge trees,

"You need the sun…climb a tree," she gave them a tired smile and the dwarves all looked at each other in surprise. Arianna rolled her eyes before moving towards Bilbo, who frowned at her,

"You're the smallest," she pleaded. Bilbo sighed before flashing her quick smile and moving to the tree. His heart sank as he saw just how high it was and he turned to the dwarves who were all staring at him expectantly. Shaking his head he looked towards Arianna,

"I don't suppose you could…"

"Give you a boost?"

Bilbo nodded and Arianna locked her hands together; giving him something to step on. As she lifted Bilbo up the company watched as the small hobbit began the slow climb up the huge tree trunk,

"All we need now," Dwalin growled, "Is for Master Baggins to fall and break his neck,"

As several of the dwarves muttered Arianna sighed before glaring at Dwalin,

"Well if that does happen," she grinned at him, "You can go up in his place,"

Dwalin sighed and Arianna realised that the forest was pushing the warrior dwarfs temper to its limits. He glared at her,

"I didn't come all this way just to be snapped at by some assassin who thinks that because she's in love with Thorin's youngest nephew..."

"Shut up Dwalin," Kili growled as the forest began to get to him as well. Within minutes the dwarves were pushing and shoving at each other again. Arianna looked over at Thorin, who glared at the company with a murderous look in his eyes,

"Quiet!" Thorin yelled. The company turned to stare at him in shock. He gripped the hilt of his sword,

"We are being watched," he whispered. Looking at each other the dwarves silently drew out their weapons. Arianna pulled out her sword and stood back to back with Fili and Kili. Silence hung in the air and the dwarves all looked at each other nervously. One of the webs close to Ori shivered and the small dwarf shrunk back against his brother. Arianna bit down on a scream as a huge black shape burst through the webbing and flung itself at her. Diving to the side she rolled away from the spider and slashed at his legs furiously. She could hear the cries of the other dwarves but her gaze was fixed on the bulk of the spider. Her breath caught in her throat and she screamed as one of the spider's legs stabbed the ground beside her. Jumping to her feet she slashed at the creatures legs and it screamed in agony as one of its long legs rolled away from its body.

"Dwalin!" Arianna cried out as the big dwarf got caught in the grip of another spider. Arianna grabbed a knife and flung it at the beast. It screeched and dropped the stunned dwarf to the ground. Arianna bit her lip as Dwalin shook his head groggily before grabbing his own weapon and charging at the spider.

"Arianna!"

Her head snapped up at Kili's voice. He stared at her in horror and before she had a chance to move she felt a burning pain in her side. She saw the faces of the company stare at her in terror as she fell to the ground. As the spider removed its sting Arianna's head slumped on the ground as she was swallowed up by the growing blackness.

_**They finally admitted they love each other! Thanks for all those who have been patiently waiting for this moment to come. Hope the scene between them was great (hope the whole chapter was great). You'll notice I took some bits of dialogue from later parts of the film; this was to make the scene a lot more romantic so I hope that worked out. **_

_**Don't forget to review.**_


	26. Secrets of Mirkwood

_**Thanks to TheDiamondSword400 for following me. General thanks to everyone who has followed/favourite/reviewed or just read my story. The support means so much guys.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – It took a few rewrites but they seem to have paid off!**_

_**Celebrisilweth – I thought it was a good time for the pair to admit how they felt.**_

_**Marina Oakenshield – Hopefully the elves won't disappoint.**_

Secrets of Mirkwood

When Arianna came to she found herself tightly wrapped up in something grey and sticky. Her stomach lurched as she realised she was cocooned in a spiders webbing and as a sudden sense of claustrophobia began to set in her eyes could just make out several large black shapes lumbering towards her. Something prodded her side and she squirmed,

"This one's far too thin," a hissing voice said, "Not enough juice in its body,"

Arianna bit her lip, trying to swallow the bile that was in her throat. She saw the black shapes move away from he and stop a few meters down,

"Now this one," the voice cackled, "This one's far better. Much more juicy,"

Arianna heard the terrified cries of Bombur ring in her ears. She squirmed and struggled but the spiders had wrapped her up far too tightly for her to move around. As Bombur cries got louder Arianna heart stopped beating as she heard the spiders around her screaming in pain. She tried to look through her cocoon but all she saw was a large black shape tumbling down towards the ground below. Her stomach lurched as she suddenly dropped several feet in the air. She could hear a voice above her but before her brain could work out who it was her cocoon fell through the air and landed on the ground with a thud. Arianna groaned before sluggishly kicking out at the webbing that was wrapped around her. She could still feel the after effects of the spider's venom and her hands grabbed at a small knife in her belt. As the webbing fell away Arianna pushed herself onto her knees; brushing the webs away from her skin and out of her mouth. Nausea churned in her stomach and she leant forward as she threw up onto the ground. Coughing weakly she forced herself to her feet to find the company brushing the webs away from their clothes. Kili moved towards her and she wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her tunic,

"I'm fine," she coughed again and he held her by the shoulders, kissing her hard on the mouth.

"I'm so sorry," he gasped. Stroking his face in reassurance Arianna smiled at him before her legs wobbled and almost gave way. Kili grabbed her and she quickly righted herself as she realised with horror that Bilbo was missing,

"Where's Bilbo?" Bofur cried, his hat still covered in the sticky webbing,

"Up here!" Everyone looked up to see the hobbit standing on a thick tree branch, his sword in his hand. Arianna smiled before realising that Bilbo wasn't alone. A huge spider came up behind him and knocked him from the tree branch. Landing painfully on the ground Bilbo looked up to find more and more spiders were appearing from out of nowhere. Kili pushed Arianna behind him as he looked at the sickly colour of her face and the sheen of sweat that covered her skin. A huge spider jumped on the small company and with a roar Kili stabbed at the body of the creature. Ducking under his arm Arianna slashed furiously at its legs, trying not to gag at the spider roared at them – spraying them with saliva.

"Get back!" Kili yelled at her. Without letting her reply he shoved her behind him as each dwarf grabbed at a spider's leg – trapping it – before pulling hard. The spider's eyes widened before it gave a dying scream as its legs were ripped away from its body. Gripping her knife Arianna pulled more webbing from her hair and grimaced. Unsheathing her sword she looked up in horror as more and more spiders were starting to climb down the trees towards them. One lunged for her when an arrow embedded itself in the spiders head and it collapsed to the ground. Pulling the arrow from the spider Arianna cursed under her breath as she realised who had killed the beast. Her gaze flew to the trees and her sharp eyes caught the sight of a slight figure jumping from branch to branch.

"KILI!" Thorin roared as a spider grabbed hold of his nephew by the leg and dragged him away. Arianna spun round and threw her knife at the spider. It hit one of its legs but the creatures grip on Kili didn't relent. Her gaze looked up in time to see the tall figure sliding down one of the sticky threads left by the spiders. Without even looking at the ground they jumped from the rope and shot two arrows into another spider before landing on its dead body and sliding down the sloping ground – knocking down any spiders in his path. With one fluid movement the jumped off the spider and aimed an arrow at Thorin's face,

"Do not think I won't kill you dwarf," the elf spat, "It would be my pleasure,"

Thorin glowered at the elf and the rest of the dwarf huddled together as more elves surrounded them and aimed their bows at them. Arianna and Fili looked at each other as Kili's screams could be heard,

"Kili!" Fili pushed forward but was stopped by the blonde elf. Looking from side to side Arianna kicked out at the elf closest to her. He fell back and she broke free from the company. She could hear the arrows fly past her head but she ignored them as she pulled her own bow out and shot an arrow at the spider that held Kili's leg in its pincers. It hit the spider but the creature gripped Kili harder. Kili cried out in pain and Arianna knew what she should do. She could feel her power bubble inside her. Yet she hesitated as Kili tried to free himself from the spiders grip. Memories of the attack by orc scouts surfaced and she shook her head weakly. She couldn't do it. If she were to hit Kili… Once again her legs gave way and she fell to the ground as two arrows appeared from the sky and lodged themselves into the spiders head. It dropped Kili who got to his feet and stared at Arianna. Even when she was covered in dirt and spiders webs he still found her beautiful. He felt a sharp pain in his legs as he forced himself towards Arianna before a cry behind him caused them both to look over his shoulder. A tall redheaded elf jumped into the air and shot an arrow into a slightly smaller spider. Arianna clutched her head she realised that the spider's venom was still in her body. She looked up as the elf stabbed a long knife into a spiders face. Kili looked behind him as another spider ran towards them,

"Give me a knife," he yelled, "Quickly,"

The elf didn't even turn to look at him, "If you think I am giving you a weapon dwarf. You're mistaken."

In a single movement she pulled the knife out and threw it over Kili's head and into the others spiders face. Kili swallowed nervously at the elf before bending down beside Arianna who forced herself to her feet. Kili kept an arm around her as the female elf pushed the pair back towards the company. Thorin and Fili broke into smiles as Kili re-joined them before fixing glares on the elves that surrounded them. Arianna smiled sweetly at the elf she had kicked and he fixed her with a cold stare before grabbing her roughly. Arianna looked as the dwarves weapons were taken from them and she couldn't resist a smile as one elf removed knife after knife from Fili who merely sighed in annoyance. The male elf removed her bow and sword and was about to reach for her belt when Arianna pushed him off her. He narrowed his eyes and she simply glared at him. To her surprise the red headed elf stepped past the male elf and began to search Arianna herself. Arianna sighed as every single weapon she carried was removed. The female elf looked at her necklace and Arianna stepped back,

"It's not a weapon," she said quietly, "But if you touch this then I'll kill you. Unlike you, I don't need weapons to do it,"

The female elf raised an eyebrow before moving towards the blonde elf that was busy examining Thorin's sword,

"_Gyrth in yngyl bain?"_ the blonde elf asked. The red head nodded,

"_Ennorner gwanod in yngy na nyryn. Engain nar,"_ the female elf replied. Arianna lowered her head. She understood what they were saying but she didn't want to give that small fact away just yet. The blonde elf held Thorin blade up in the light,

"_Echannen I vegil hen vin Gonodlin. Magannen nan Gelydh,"_ his fixed his blue eyes on Thorin, "Where did you get this?"

"It was given to me," Thorin muttered quietly. The elf frowned,

"Not only a thief, but a liar as well," the elf ignored the angry mutterings the came from the dwarves. Arianna gasped in pain as the red headed elf grabbed her by her injured shoulder and pulled at her tunic. Her eyes narrowed at the burn on Arianna skin and she looked up at the blonde elf,

"Legolas"

Legolas turned to see the female elf pushing a smaller red headed girl forward. The dwarves began yelling furiously and Legolas raised an eyebrow at their protectiveness. He looked down at the small female before him who fixed him with a cold stare. He then turned back to the elf,

"What is it Tauriel?"

Tauriel yanked down the girl's tunic and showed him the burn on her skin. Legolas stared at the girl, who shook herself free,

"What is an assassin doing in a company of thirteen dwarves?" Legolas asked. The girl folded her arms defiantly and he nodded to Tauriel who pushed her back towards the group of prisoners. Legolas watched with interest as a young dark hair dwarf pushed the girl behind him; fixing a dark look on Legolas's face and the blonde elf couldn't help but smile at the dwarf's protectiveness. He snapped his fingers and several elves moved forward to tie the prisoners up,

"Don't even think about it," Dwalin growled as a tall elf stood over him. However, despite his threats his hands were bound along with everyone else. As her injured shoulder pulled, Arianna hissed in pain. Kili looked at her in concern but she shook her head,

"It's nothing,"

The dwarves were all tied together in a long line and they were forced down the path Arianna realised with a tightening in her chest that they were missing someone. She turned to Bofur who nodded before turning to Thorin, who was behind him,

"Thorin," he hissed, "Where's Bilbo?"

* * *

The company all breathed sighs of relief as they were led out of Mirkwood. The fresh air and the bright sunshine hit them full on Arianna gulped in a huge lung-full of clean air. Her legs were no longer wobbly but she knew she would need a decent nights rest to fully rid her body of the spider's venom. The elves marched the dwarves along a tall bridge. It was similar to the one that led into Rivendell. But instead of being greeted by Lord Elrond, the company were pushed through tall wooden gates that led into the woodland realm. Warm light shone from everywhere and huge tree roots sprouted from the ground that lay miles beneath the bridges that the company were forced along. Their guards pushed them up several small steps until they were all standing on a round platform in front of a tall throne that stood at the top of several more steps. A tall elf with blonde hair and a crown of tree branches and red leaves rested on his head. The company huddled together as their bonds were removed and Kili pulled Arianna close. The elven king looked at the company in surprise before getting to his feet and slowly making his way down the stairs before facing the company,

"This is indeed unexpected," his voice was soft but every dwarf could detect the power that lay behind it,

"Thorin Oakenshield has trespassed into my kingdom,"

Thorin looked up at the elf king with a small smile, "Thranduil," he replied softly. Thranduil gave a small inclination of his head as Legolas stepped up beside him and whispered in his ear. The king's face gave no sign of any change in emotion as he fixed his eyes on the company,

"I hear you have an assassin in your midst," his eyes narrowed, "Bring her forward,"

Kili gripped on Arianna's wrist protectively but he was pulled away from her by Legolas. The company watched as Arianna was shoved in front of the king. Her feet slipped on the stone floor and she quickly regained her balance. Thranduil looked her up and down before settling his gaze on her face,

"Show me the mark," he said out loud. Two elves' grabbed at Arianna and turned her round. One them pulled her shirt down – exposing her injured shoulder and the brand she wore. The king nodded at the burn before leaning forward to look at the bite mark.

"How did you receive this?" his voice cut through the air like ice. Arianna gave a small smile,

"Got on the wrong side of a goblin,"

Thranduil nodded before gently probing the bite and Arianna gritted her teeth as a small stab of pain ran though her arm. Although the bite was healing well it still hurt whenever someone touched it. The dwarves growled in anger as Thranduil nodded for his guards to release Arianna who turned and fired him with an icy look,

"I suggest you tell your guards that if they do that again they'll regret it,"

A small smile appeared on Thranduils face. He gently ran a hand along Arianna face – much to Kili's anger – before taking a step back. As he did so Arianna caught a look at his eyes. Fear slammed into her as she saw the lack of focus in them. They were almost glazed over.

And she knew only one person who could do that.

Thranduil ignored the fear that crept onto her face, "He said you had spirit. Assuming you are the one he's been looking for," he leant over his shoulder and raised his voice,

"Is she the one?"

Arianna stood rooted to the spot as a tall cloaked figure stepped out from behind Thranduils throne and made his way down the steps. She tried to move back when an elf grabbed her arms and forced her to stay where she was. Licking her dry lip Arianna's legs shook as the cloaked figure stood beside Thranduil,

"Arianna…it really has been too long,"

As the figure threw their hood back Arianna bit down on her cry. The tall man smiled at her, his pointed ears showing from beneath his brown hair.

"Jared," she could barely choke the words out and behind her she could hear the shocked gasps of the company. Jared smiled and walked towards her. Fear started to creep into her body and as he reached out a hand to caress her face she shook her head weakly. Jared merely smiled,

"You've grown more beautiful my dear. I did not think that would be possible," his head turned to look at the company who all avoided his gaze. Frowning Jared grabbed hold of a clump of Arianna's hair and pulled on it, bringing tears to her eyes,

"I see they know about me Arianna," he whispered. She nodded,

"They know everything Jared. My past, your power, my power. You've got nothing over me,"

"Haven't I?" he smiled sweetly and leaned towards her ear so no one else could hear, "And have you told any of them about your…punishment?"

Arianna eyes widened but she refused to give Jared the satisfaction of such a sight. Jared nodded at the elf holding her and he stepped back. Arianna freed herself from Jared's grip and stepped backwards,

"They don't need to know," she whispered, "It won't change things whether they know or not,"

Jared smiled at her, "You've caused me a great deal of trouble Arianna. You broke your oath. You know the price for doing so,"

Behind her Arianna could hear the dwarf's mutterings getting louder and angrier. But instead she folded her arms and glared at her former master,

"Do it," she said the words quietly but they echoed in the open space. Behind her the dwarf's cries were getting more frantic and she could hear Kili's voice above the rest. Ignoring her friends she glowered at Jared,

"Do it. You've had plenty of chances to do it. You could have killed me that night but you didn't. You've had years to kill me and yet I'm still here. Why?"

Jared smiled. In fact his smile broke into a grin and he barked out a laugh,

"My dear. I don't wish to kill you. That was never the intention. To waste such a power…it would be criminal,"

"But…" Arianna was lost for words, "What about the attacks by Fenian in Rivendell?"

Jared sighed, "I instructed him to disable you long enough for you to be brought back to me. However I did not factor his…own personal anger towards you. If I had known then I would have picked someone else entirely."

His eyes rested on Arianna necklace and she reached up a hand to cover it. Silently Jared pulled her hand away and pressed it to his lips,

"At last I have found you again," he whispered, "And I will not allow you to escape from me again,"

A deathly silence hung in the air. Arianna pulled her hand away from Jared and wiped it on her trousers. He narrowed his eyes but stepped back as Thranduil leaned forward to look at the dwarves,

"With the exception of Thorin Oakenshield, take them to the dungeons," he ordered. Legolas frowned,

"What about Arianna?"

Thranduil raised an eyebrow but he softened his gaze as he looked at the girl. Her skin was still pale and her legs were trembling. He nodded his head,

"Very well…escort her to one of the guest rooms,"

Legolas bowed but Jared held up a hand,

"She is mine now Thranduil. I shall take her back with me,"

"I'm going nowhere with you," Arianna growled, "You don't own me any more Jared,"

"Oh really?" he nodded towards the brand on her skin,

"You swore an oath. Unless you've signed a contract with these dwarves I shall always own you,"

Arianna bowed her head. She had never signed a contract with the company. She hadn't been in it for the gold or the treasure. Jared grabbed her wrist when Legolas stepped forward,

"She's sick," he said quietly, "She needs food and rest,"

Jared narrowed his eyes at the interruption before taking another look at Arianna and nodding,

"In which case…I would be happy to escort Arianna to her room,"

Thranduil nodded, "One of my men will show you the way,"

Jared's grip tightened on her wrists as he dragged her down the steps. The company shouted out in anger as several elves appeared and began pushing them down the steps that led to the dungeons. Arianna pulled on Jared's grip but he shook her head,

"Let me go!" she yelled angrily, "LET ME GO!"

Jared clicked his tongue as he wrapped his arms around her body and lifted her off the ground. The dwarves called out for her and Kili tried to push his way past their guards to get to her as Jared carried her out of sight. However he was forcefully turned around and pushed down the steps. The dwarves yelled in anger as they were shoved into their own separate cells,

"This is not the end!" Dwalin yelled as his cell door slammed shut, "Do ye hear me!"

As Fili was shoved into his cell the elf holding him reached into his coat and pulled out one final dagger. He sighed in frustration. He had been hoping to get away with that one ever since they had been captured. He watched as the red headed elf that had killed the spiders in Mirkwood escorted Kili to his cell. Kili stared at the elf,

"Aren't you going to search me?" he said sarcastically, "I could have anything down my trousers,"

Tauriel didn't even blink, "Or nothing," she said as she locked his door. Kili smiled to himself at that remarked. He could imagine Arianna saying something like that. Kili's smile vanished in an instant as he remembered the fear on Arianna's face as she had seen Jared appear. Never before had Kili seen her so terrified. He banged his fist against the bars of his cell. If that elf laid so much as laid a finger on her, then Kili was convinced he would tear him apart.

* * *

Thranduil looked down at the filthy, web covered figure of Thorin Oakenshield who stood before him,

"Some may imagine that a noble quest is at hand. A quest to reclaim a homeland and slay a dragon," he glanced at Thorin who glowered at him. Undeterred Thranduil carried on, "I myself suspect a more prosaic motive: attempted burglary or something of that ilk."

He got to his feet and made his way down the steps towards the dwarf,

"You would seek that which would bestow upon you the right to rule. The Kings jewel – the Arknestone. It is precious to you beyond measure. I understand that. There are gems in the mountain that I to desire. White gems of pure starlight." He gave a small bow of his head, "I offer you my help,"

Thorin raised an eyebrow and allowed a smile to creep on to his face, "I am listening,"

"I will let you go, if you but return what is mine,"

"A favour for a favour," Thorin mused. Thranduil nodded,

"One king to another. You have my word."

Thorin looked up at the elven king with pure hate in his eyes,

"I would not trust Thranduil, the great king, to honour his word should the end of all days be upon us!" he yelled, jabbing a finger at the king, "You lack all honour! I have seen how you treat your friends! We came to you once, starving, homeless, seeking your help and you turned your back! You turned away from the suffering of my people and from the inferno that destroyed us. _Imrid amrad ursul!"_

"Do not talk to me of dragon fire! I know it's wrath and ruin!" Thranduil hissed, "I have faced the great serpents of the North!"

Thorin watched in horror as the kings face began to change before his eyes. One side was covered in huge red burns, his left eye a milky whiteness. Thranduil stepped back as his face returned to its usual state,

"I warned your grandfather of what his greed would summon but he would not listen. You are just like him." He waved a hand and two guards grabbed Thorin roughly, "Stay here if you will and rot. A hundred years is a mere blink in the life of an elf. I am patient. I can wait," he sat down on his throne as his guards roughly dragged Thorin down the steps towards the dungeons. The rest of the company watched as their king was pushed into a cell,

"Did he offer you a deal?" Balin asked quietly. Thorin grinned wickedly,

"He did. I told him he could _ish kakhfe ai'd dur rugun!_" Balin shook his head as Thorin yelled, "Him and all his kin!"

"Well that's that then. A deal was out only hope," Balin sat down dejectedly but Thorin shook his head,

"Not our only hope,"

**Translations**

**Gyrth in yngyl bain? – **Are the spiders dead?

**Ennorner gwanod in yngy na nyryn. Engain nar – **Yes but more will come

**Echannen I vegil hen vin Gonodlin. Magannen nan Gelydh – **This is an ancient elvish blade. Forged by my kin

**Imrid amrad ursul – **Die a death in flames

**Ish kakhfe ai'd dur rugun –** I shit on your face

_**Bit of a busy chapter there…but I bet none of you saw that one coming! Always like to hear people's thoughts.**_


	27. A Deal

_**Woo – 9,000 views! Big thanks to Ogregal, Millenia-the-wings-of-valmar and moonlightkiss1515 for following my story.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – I do like giving people surprises. I'd always wanted to know what that insult was and when I looked it up I couldn't stop laughing either! Plus…don't we all need a Kili in our lives?**_

_**Celebrisilweth – At least it gives Bilbo a chance to show off just who awesome he is.**_

A Deal

Arianna had been forced to give up her struggling as Jared took her along several corridors that led to her room. The spider venom had left her body weak and exhausted and although she hated herself for it, Arianna had felt her body going limp in Jared's arms. As he carefully laid her on her bed she refused to look at his face and as his fingers brushed against her cheek she flinched away. Jared frowned in anger,

"Did you really think you could escape me forever?" he bent over her and his mouth brushed against her ear,

"You can never escape your past Arianna. No matter how hard you try,"

Silent tears formed in her eyes as Jared stood back to allow two healers into the room. One of them began examining the mark left by the spider's sting whilst the other mixed together several herbs into a dark looking liquid. Arianna fixed Jared with a frosty glare,

"Get out," she whispered, "Get out and stay out,"

She could see the anger blazing in his eyes. However, he simply turned and left her alone with the two elves. Arianna said nothing as they treated her wound and forced her to drink whatever tonic they had invented. Fresh sorrow bubbled inside her as she remembered being forced to drink one of Oin's medicines when she had been attacked by the trolls. Arianna curled up into a ball when the door was locked shut behind the two healers. As nice as this room looked; it was still a prison cell. Her shoulder shook as the easy tears came again. Burying her head in the soft pillows Arianna refused to cry out or shout. If she allowed anyone to know how painful this was for her then they would use it to their advantage. Jared wouldn't hesitate to use her own feelings against her. It was a speciality of his. The only thing she could do now was sleep.

As the early morning sunlight streamed through her window Arianna rubbed her eyes and gently sat up. Running her hands along her legs she could no longer feel the horrible sensation she had felt when suffering from the spiders poison. Her throat was dry and her stomach rumbled for food. Passing a hand over her face she could feel where the tears had coursed along her skin and she rubbed her nose absentmindedly,

"How do you feel?"

Arianna's head shot up at the sound of the voice. Her eyes hardened as she saw the tall figure of Tauriel standing by her bed. Wiping her eyes Arianna thought up the most unsavoury curse she could think up in her head,

"I want nothing to do with you," she spat. To her credit, Tauriel didn't as much as blink. Running a hand through her sticky hair Arianna groaned inwardly. Compared to the female elf – in fact compared to _anyone_ – she looked disgusting. As she pulled dried cobwebs from her hair she grimaced as they stuck to her fingers. She was aware that Tauriel was still standing by her bed and it was taking all of her self-control – and the fact that she had no weapons - to stop Arianna from launching herself at the woman in a fit of anger. Arianna knew Tauriel had saved Kili's life when she had been too cowardly to do so. She had probably saved Arianna's as well…but Arianna couldn't help but feel hate towards the elf. She might have saved them from the spiders but Tauriel wasn't going to save her from Jared.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as nicely as she could. Tauriel looked down at her and Arianna was glad she was lying on the bed else she would have felt dwarfed by the elf's height.

"As the Captain of the Guard it's my duty to look after the prisoners," Tauriels voice was crisp and clear. Arianna nodded as she was reminded that this was no social call. Brushing herself down she looked up at Tauriel,

"How are the others?"

Tauriel gave her a sympathetic smile, "I haven't seen them yet. I thought I should visit you first,"

"Oh," Arianna nodded to herself. She was starting to feel incredibly self - conscious in Tauriels presence. The elf seemed to sense this because she gave Arianna a small smile,

"If you wish I can arrange for you to have a bath and some clean clothes brought up for you,"

Arianna's eyes widened, "Can you do that for prisoners?"

Tauriel shrugged, "You are a woman…prisoner or not there are still rules of chivalry that must be obeyed," she then winked at Arianna who was starting to see a slightly different side to this she-elf,

"Also, I have some influence over the prisoners in my care,"

"Right…thank you," Arianna nodded gratefully at Tauriel who began to make her way towards the door. Just as the elf was about to open the door a thought hit Arianna,

"The dwarves…"

"What about them?"

"The young one with dark hair - Kili" Arianna hoped she wasn't blushing at this point, "Could you make sure he's alright. And could you tell him…could you tell him I'm okay,"

Tauriel nodded before shutting the door behind her. Arianna lay back on the bed. She didn't want to tell Kili that was 'okay'. She wanted to tell him she loved him. She wanted to let him know how much he meant to her and how much she cared about him. Arianna shook her head as she heard the door open again. As Jared strode into the room she all but jumped off the bed. She didn't want to be at any disadvantage if he tried to attack her. He frowned at her actions before giving her a slight smile,

"It's lovely to see you healed Arianna,"

"Only so you can drag me back," she spat, "You'd be better off leaving me here Jared. I will never go anywhere with you,"

"So you keep saying," in three long strides he crossed the room and stood over her. Arianna flinched as he touched her face and Jared frowned,

"As soon as you are fit to travel we will be leaving Mirkwood,"

"What part of 'I'm not going anywhere with you' can you not understand?" she gasped in pain as he struck her hard across the face. Arianna swung her fist at his head but he blocked her attack and grabbed her head with his other hand,

"You should know better than that Arianna," Jared's voice whispered, "Especially after last time,"

Arianna sneered at her former master, "You still think you own me Jared," she hissed as he slowly released her,

"You think I'm your's to control. You still see me as your puppet who will believe anything you say. Well you're wrong. I no longer believe those lies you told me. I don't believe anything you say anymore,"

Jared merely raised an eyebrow as Arianna continued,

"You said no one would ever love me. That I would never belong anywhere. You couldn't have been more wrong if you had tried,"

Jared's mouth gaped open slightly, "Oh you mean that company of dwarves you've been travelling with!" he nodded, "You're right…they do seem to care for you. Very much so,"

Arianna's satisfied nod froze and Jared gave her a sick, twisted smile,

"That young dwarfling; the one with the dark hair…he seems to care about you _very_ much," he winked at her and she clenched her fists,

"You leave him out of this," she hissed, "I swear if you harm him…if you harm any of them, I'll make you pay!"

It was then she realised her mistake as Jared threw his head back and laughed,

"You love him don't you?" he moved towards her, "Don't bother denying it,"

Arianna lowered her head but he grabbed her injured shoulder and squeezed the goblin bite. Hissing in pain Arianna looked up at his face,

"You've fallen in love with the dwarf!" Jared said, the triumph etched on his face. Arianna stepped away from him and folded her arms,

"You don't know the meaning of that word," she spat, "Like I said earlier…this has nothing to do with any of them. This is between me and you,"

Jared nodded but Arianna could see his brain working,

"What would you do to guarantee the life of your dwarf lover?"

Arianna bowed her head in despair. She was trapped. Jared had Thranduil as his puppet, he only had to say the word and the elf king would have the dwarves killed.

"What do you want from me?" her voice was small and as Jared forced her head up to meet his gaze he gave her a soft smile,

"You will travel me with from here as soon as I say so,"

"Back to the Kira Katil," Arianna spat. Jared shook his head,

"Not at first. I want you to assist me on a mission first. A very…_important_ mission," Jared's hand moved down towards her neck,

"You are going to help me take the Lonely Mountain…and kill Thorin Oakenshield."

* * *

Tauriel made her way down the steps that led to the dungeons quicker than she had every done before. Whenever she passed a guard she did her best to keep her face calm and composed. If it was discovered that she had been eavesdropping then she knew she would be punished severely. However, Tauriel knew she had done the right thing. She couldn't put it into words, but the sight of Jared entering the girl's room had sent a chill down her spine. She had no idea what sort of hold he had over her king but it unnerved her. Given half a chance she had no doubt about attempting to kill Jared. She hadn't been able to hear all of the conversation between him and Arianna as she had been interrupted by the arrival of several guards. But it had been enough for her to know that there was something dangerous about Jared – aside from the fact that he was an accomplished assassin. As she passed the cells that held the dwarves she could feel their icy glares rest on her face. Steeling herself for the abuse that was sure to come her eyes scanned the cells as she tried to look for the one Arianna had spoken of,

"What do you want?"

Tauriel looked down into the cell that held Thorin Oakenshield. She'd heard about his 'audience' with the king and was unsurprised when she heard how it ended. However, there was no rage or hate in the dwarf kings eyes. Instead there was just despair and worry. Moving closer to the bars Tauriel leant her head against the cell door,

"I'm looking for the one called Kili," she said softly.

"That's me," Her head snapped up to see a young dwarf with black hair standing by his cell door. As she moved towards it she saw his wide brown eyes were filled with worry. She hadn't even opened her mouth when he clutched the bars of his cell in fear,

"Is it Arianna? Is she alright? Has he hurt her?"

Tauriel shut her mouth. She could see the love the dwarf had for Arianna and her heart ached for such a look to be aimed at her in public and not hidden behind closed doors.

"Well?" Another dwarf was looking at her now; he had long blonde hair and was glaring at her, "Is she alright?"

Tauriel swallowed nervously as the rest of the dwarves were getting to their feet and leaning against their cell doors to hear her news,

"For Mahals sake!" A bald dwarf covered in tattoos growled, "The lad just wants to know how she is!"

"There's no need to talk in that tone," Legolas's smooth voice filtered into Tauriels ear and she couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face. Giving her a soft smile in return, Legolas glared at the dwarves who slowly retreated away from their cells doors. Kili however remained where he was, fixing Legolas with a cold look,

"If Jared does anything to Arianna I'll hold you responsible," he muttered. Legolas raised an eyebrow,

"Will you indeed? And what will you do if you're locked in a cell?"

Kili gripped the bars and Tauriel quickly stepped in front of Legolas – blocking the dwarf from his view,

"Leave him be Legolas,"

A flash of hurt appeared in the elf prince's eyes for a second before looking at her with a strange look.

"Do you care about him?" Legolas asked icily. Tauriel raised an eyebrow,

"He is concerned about the woman he loves," she said quietly, "Is that so hard to understand?"

Legolas gave her a bashful smile as he took her hand in his. Tauriel gave him a nod,

"I can take it from here," she whispered. Legolas nodded,

"I'll be waiting for you," he murmured as he moved away Tauriel felt that familiar sadness fill her chest.

"He loves you," Kili said softly. Tauriel gave a brief nod before sitting down on the steps that were outside his cell. Kili edged closer to the bars as she gave him a smile,

"I have a message from Arianna. She wanted to let you know she was okay,"

Kili nodded but he couldn't bring himself to feel any happiness. Tauriel sighed,

"There was something else. I overheard Jared talking to her. He said that when she was well enough he was going to take her back with him,"

"Arianna would never go with him," Kili said with fierce conviction. However Tauriel shook her head and his face fell,

"But…why would she do that?" he asked hoarsely. Tauriel sighed,

"I have a feeling it's to save your life," she watched as Kili allowed the news to sink in. Tauriel bit her lip as she prepared to deliver the final blow to the young dwarf,

"He also wants Arianna to help him kill your leader and take the Lonely Mountain,"

As a shocked gasp ran round the dungeons Tauriel realised that she had said the last part louder than intended. Getting to her feet she looked over at the figure of Thorin, who was on his feet and glaring at her,

"Why are you telling him such lies?" he hissed angrily. Tauriel flinched at this. Moving away from Kili she strode towards the cell that held Thorin,

"It is no lie," she hissed, "I overhead them myself,"

"She'd never do it," an older dwarf with white hair stood next to Thorin who was looking past Tauriel and at Kili who avoided his uncles gaze. Resting his head against the bars Thorin muttered yet another curse in his own language. Tauriel stepped back; she had been here too long already. She had other duties to attend to. As she passed Kili's cell on her way out he reached through the bars and grabbed her hand. Instantly she pulled herself free but as she found herself staring at the sadness in his eyes she stopped walking and looked down at him,

"Please," Kili said, "You have to get her out of here,"

Tauriels eyes widened, "You're asking me to help a prisoner escape?"

"You don't understand! He'll kill her," Kili said angrily, "No matter what he says or what he does…he'll kill her. I know he will."

Tauriel said nothing as she turned and walked away. Kili stared desperately after her and as she turned a corner he sat back against his cell wall and kicked the door in anger,

"Kili? Kili can you hear me?"

Kili mumbled something to answer his brother's question and he heard Fili crawling towards the cell door,

"Kili I promise…we'll get out of here. And we won't go anywhere without Arianna,"

Tauriel ran up the steps and turned a corner when an arm shot out and pulled her into a small alcove. Tauriels hand flew to her knife but as Legolas cupped her face in his hands she ignored the weapon before kissing him softly on the chin.

"How did you get to be so beautiful? Legolas whispered as he kissed her mouth. Tauriel simply smiled before the pair both stared at each other sadly. Due to his father's beliefs, Legolas and Tauriel had been forced to keep their feelings for each other hidden. Reduced to secret meetings like this was their only way of showing their love for each other and Tauriel couldn't help but feel jealous of Arianna and Kili and the support they had from the others dwarves.

* * *

Arianna's hand trembled as she pulled her brand new clothes on. When Jared had told her of his new assignment she'd wanted to be sick. But she forced herself to look at him,

"You can't," was all she could say. However Jared simply nodded,

"But I can. With Oakenshield dead then Erebor will be open to anyone who can claim it,"

Arianna kept quiet. Was it just possible that Jared didn't know about Fili and Kili? She lowered her head as he turned towards her,

"What do you want with the Lonely Mountain?" she asked. Jared gave her a smile, running a hand along her face,

"I have no need of it. But the person I am serving would like it in his hands,"

Arianna felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. Hoping her face wouldn't give anything away she looked up at Jared,

"Why do you even need my help? The dwarves are all locked up in the dungeons. You could easily kill Thorin now and be done with it,"

"But that would be too easy. And then the others would see me and I would have to kill the rest of those dwarves; including your precious dwarf lover," Arianna snarled at the mention of Kili and Jared raised an eyebrow,

"My instructions are clear. Tomorrow morning those dwarves are going to somehow escape from their prison and escape the clutches of Thranduil. Whilst they are travelling they will believe themselves to be safe. It is then that we shall strike,"

Arianna glowered, "Since when do you take orders from anyone. Losing your touch?" she asked sweetly. She had braced herself for the back of Jared's hand and so made no sound as it connected with her cheek. Jared gave her a soft glare,

"That is none of your concern. You will follow my instructions and I can guarantee the safety of your precious dwarf,"

"I won't so it," she spat, "There's nothing you can do to convince me otherwise,"

He tutted, "As much as I loved your fiery spirit, it's starting to get a little tiresome," he leant forward and whispered, "We need to find a way of breaking it,"

Arianna's cry was broken off as Jared lips pressed against hers. Cursing violently she shoved him away and, after fixing her a cold stare he turned on his heel and strode from the room. As the door slammed shut Arianna crashed to the floor and put a shaking hand to her mouth. When two female elves had arrived with fresh clothes and a hot bath the tears were still running down her face. They'd left her alone with her thoughts which were racing round and round in her head. She could see no way out of it. Certainly no way that would end well for her. As she finished pulling her new clothes on Arianna realised she was wearing something that had been meant for a child. The trousers were a little short but the boots covered that, and the dark green tunic and black corset were a little tight for her. Arianna wondered who these clothes had once belonged to. Pushing her hair away from her face she dropped down on her bed – only to jump off it as she heard a muffled cry,

"What the hell?"

Arianna stared in shock as Bilbo crawled out from under her bed, rubbing his nose. In the rush of recent events she'd forgotten all about the hobbit. As she looked up at her she dropped to her knees an enveloped him in a huge hug,

"Bilbo! Where were you?"

Arianna listened patiently as Bilbo filled her in on how he'd snuck into the castle and had spent forever wandering the corridors until he'd seen a man leaving her room and saying her name. Arianna raised an eyebrow at this tale. Somehow it didn't seem to fit. However she pushed those thoughts aside as she gave Bilbo yet another hug. The hobbit blushed and a sudden thought hit Arianna. She eyed Bilbo warily,

"How long have you been here?"

"Oh…well. I came when that man was leaving your room. I then hid under your bed when those elves came in. I was going to show myself when they left but you were…busy. So I waited until you were decent before coming out of hiding,"

Arianna nodded to herself before getting to her feet and brushing herself down. She gazed down at Bilbo curiously,

"What exactly are you doing here?"

"Well…I've come to try and get you out," Bilbo said proudly, "Although I don't know where the dungeons are,"

"I do,"

Both Arianna and Bilbo turned round slowly to see the tall figure of Tauriel standing in the doorway.

_**Bit of a cliff-hanger for you all there! Sorry for any feels that people may be having. If anyone wishes to bitch slap Jared then be my guest. **_

_**Would love to hear your thoughts; especially on the whole Legolas/Tauriel relationship. I know there are people who like her and Kili together but as a HUGE Legolas fan I think it's fair for him to be with the one he loves. Also, I'm not a big fan of love triangles. **_


	28. Escape Plans

_**Big thanks to Savarra and Blacklinedeyes for following my story **_

_**Celebrisilweth – Glad you approve of all the parings…as a Legolas fan I wanted him to have a good part in my story.**_

_** – Glad you loved it.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – Sorry about the cliff-hanger! I couldn't resist. As for Legolas and Tauriel my only hope is that I don't do a whole Romeo and Juliet on them.**_

Escape Plans

Arianna swallowed nervously as Tauriel slammed the door shut behind her and entered the room. Her eyes looked down at the figure of Bilbo who was holding his sword at her and Arianna could see an amused smile tug on her lips,

"Who have we here?"

"Bilbo Baggins," Bilbo lowered his sword as the she elf came into full view. He swallowed nervously as she eyed his sword before turning back to Arianna,

"Why would a Halfling want to know where the dungeons are?"

Arianna bit her lip as she and Bilbo shared a look. Tauriel moved away from the door and watched the pair with interest. She knew why the Halfling was here of course. She bit down the laugh at the thought of a hobbit trying to break a large group of dwarves out of the dungeons. However, her gaze kept moving back to Arianna. The young dwarf – Kili – had been so convinced that Jared would kill the girl. In truth, if Tauriel hadn't overhead Jared's conversation with Arianna then she wouldn't have believed the dwarf at all. As the hobbit sheathed his sword she noticed it was in fact an elvish knife. Tauriel watched Arianna carefully before deciding what to say,

"I overhead you and Jared talking," she said. Arianna folded her arms,

"How much did you hear?"

"Most of it," Tauriel admitted without any shame of eavesdropping. Arianna nodded before taking a step towards Tauriel,

"We need to escape here. You're father has no real reason for keeping any of us here. Jared's influence over him…you've no idea what destruction it could create. To be able to control the mind of a king," Arianna trailed off. Even she had never fully considered how Jared might use his powers beyond trying to control his assassins. She watched in surprise as Tauriel nodded,

"I spoke to Kili…he's fine. They all are. He seems convinced that Jared is going to kill you,"

Arianna sighed as she sat down on the bed. She was aware of both Bilbo and Tauriel watching her,

"Arianna," Bilbo jumped on the bed and sat beside her, "Why is Jared here?"

Arianna laughed. She had forgotten that Bilbo had missed out on quite a bit. As briefly as she could she filled him in on why Jared was here and what he planned to do. She watched as the colour drained from Bilbo's face.

"But…will you actually kill Thorin?"

Arianna flinched at the innocent question. Glaring at Bilbo she shook her head,

"No…I won't allow any of them to be harmed. But if I don't so something then…" she broke off, hating the feeling of helplessness that was inside her. Bilbo gave her a comforting hug and to Arianna's surprise she felt Tauriels hand on her shoulder. As she looked up Arianna saw Tauriel give her a soft smile,

"You love Kili don't you?"

Arianna nodded and Tauriel got to her feet,

"You are lucky. You have the opportunity to act upon your feelings. I am forced to keep mine hidden because of my low rank and lack of royal blood,"

Arianna watched Tauriel with interest. As she looked at the light in the elf's eyes she had a vague idea, who Tauriel was talking about,

"Kili is a prince as well. He's no different from Legolas,"

Tauriel nodded, "But Thorin isn't like Thranduil. For all his insults and his hatred of elves…he is far more willing to accept others into his family,"

Arianna couldn't help but feel sympathy towards Tauriel. She herself had been afraid of showing her feelings for Kili – albeit for a very different reason – and she understood the female elf's sadness at not being able to be with the one she loved. Tauriel cleared her throat nervously and got back to her feet. Arianna did the same out of instinct and she watched the she elf carefully,

"Are you afraid of him?" Tauriel asked. Aware that Bilbo was in the room, Arianna was tempted to bluff her way through this and say no. But she could see the elf's eyes boring into her own and she swallowed her pride,

"He terrifies me. I'm not afraid of him killing me. I know he can do far worse things to me,"

"Such as?" Bilbo asked. Arianna rolled her eyes, reminding herself to give Bilbo a talk about subtlety. However she could see the question had drawn Tauriels interest and so she simply sighed,

"Do you remember when I said something broke Jared's hold over me?" Bilbo nodded and Arianna sat down on the bed as she felt her knees tremble,

"That night he hurt me…he watched as two men beat up and then he…he hurt me himself. He hurt me in…other ways,"

Bilbo leant against her, "Arianna I'm so sorry…If I'd known I…,"

Arianna gave her friend a reassuring hug as she looked into the face of Tauriel. The elf watched her with sad eyes and Arianna felt a burst of anger. She wasn't looking for anyone's sympathy or pity. What she was looking for right now was help. Giving Tauriel her nicest smile she took a deep breath,

"Please help us. If you allow us to stay here then we will all be dead,"

"What do you mean?" Tauriel asked. Arianna bit her lip, wondering if she should mention Jared's plan. The doubt was quickly squashed. The more people who knew the better,

"Jared somehow plans to help the company escape tomorrow morning. And when they're back on the road he's going to kill Thorin,"

Tauriel nodded and Arianna was shocked at the lack of surprise until she remembered the elf had heard some of the conversation. Bilbo got to his feet,

"In which case…let's help them escape now!" he broke off as he saw Tauriel slowly remove a knife from her belt,

"As the Captain of the Guard it would be my duty to stop you from doing such a thing," she said softly and dangerously. Bilbo swallowed nervously and Arianna got to her feet,

"Please help us," she pleaded, "I know you have a duty to your king…but don't you have a duty to do what you think is right?"

Arianna wasn't bothered if her words affected Tauriel or not. If the elf tried to stop them Arianna would simply stop her. Tauriel knew nothing about her power – she hoped. However, Tauriel was sheathing her knife and fixed Arianna with a smile. Thranduil might be her king, but she would not follow orders that were really coming from an assassin,

"If this is going to work…we need to have a plan,"

* * *

The dwarves all sat silently in their cells. Kili had curled up into a small ball as he leant against the cell door. His mind kept wandering to Arianna. The way she had shied away from Jared as if she was a small child. The way Thranduil had treated her as though she was nothing. Kili remembered looking at the swollen goblin bite on her shoulder. How long had it been like that? Why hadn't she mentioned it to him? To anyone? Pushing that thought aside Kili's ears pricked up as he heard slow footsteps heading towards his cell. As he saw the cloaked figure of Jared, Kili was on his feet in an instant. He clenched his fists and glared at Jared who merely stood there with a small smile on his lips,

"So this is the dwarf she had given herself to?" he mused. At the mention of Arianna Kili's fists clenched even more. Jared raised an eyebrow,

"Do you love her boy?" he snapped. Kili could feel his anger growing inside him,

"I'm not a child," he snarled. Jared smiled,

"That isn't answering my question. Do you love her?"

"Yes," the words had left Kili's mouth before he could stop himself. Jared chuckled to himself and Kili could feel the control over his temper growing steadily weaker,

"I can see why you would be attracted to her," Jared pressed his head against Kili's cell, "Such a beautiful creature. Have you bedded her yet?"

Kili blushed at the question. He quickly smoothed his angry expression into what he hoped was a neutral one,

"I don't think that's any of your business," he spat as he tried to keep a hold on his temper. Jared bit down on his laugh. Kili was aware of the rest of the dwarves watching the pair of them closely and he prayed that Fili wasn't eavesdropping on this conversation. Jared inclined his head,

"I'm told she's excellent on her back," he smiled sickly, "How does it feel to know she's already been broken in for you,"

With a hoarse cry Kili hands shot through the bars of his cell. With awesome flexibility Jared shot back and grabbed Kili's outstretched hand,

"If you ever," Kili spat as Jared let go of his hand, "EVER talk about her like that again then I will gut you,"

Jared frowned before his own hand shot through the bars and grabbed Kili by the throat. By now the other dwarves were on their feet and were shouting at Jared in anger,

"Kili!" Fili slammed his whole body against his cell door. Jared turned to him and winked before turning back to Kili and tutting,

"I was going to bring her down here to say her goodbyes as well," he said coldly, "But I don't think the pair of you deserve it,"

Kili coughed weakly as Jared's grip around his neck increased,

"Why are you doing this to her? Why not just let her go?"

"Because master dwarf," Jared threw Kili backwards and took a step away from the cell as Kili pressed himself against the door,

"She needs to be punished for her actions,"

As Jared turned to go Kili yelled the vilest curse he could think of. The last time he had said anything close to what had left his lips; his mother had clouted him round the head and banned him from picking up his bow for two whole months. But his mother wasn't here now. He heard the shocked gasps from the rest of the company but as he turned to see Thorin he was surprised to see his uncle nodding at him with a grim smile. Blinking away his tears Kili sank in a heap against his cell door as he listened to the mutterings that were coming from the cells around him,

"I'll wager the sun is on the rise," Balin said sadly. Kili looked at the rune stone in his hand. No one, not even Fili knew he carried this. Although Kili suspected Fili had been given his own token by their mother and the thought brought a small smile to his face. However, as the others carried on their conversation he could feel his smile fading,

"We're never going to reach the mountain are we?" Ori's voice piped up. Kili's ears pricked up as he heard the sound of footsteps and the jangle of keys. The dwarves gasped with delight as a familiar face appeared,

"Not stuck in here you're not," Bilbo whispered as he unlocked Thorin's cell. In an instant the dwarves were on their feet; huge smiles on their faces,

"Bilbo!" Balin cried.

"What is it?" Oin asked and Nori nodded,

"It's Bilbo!"

Kili smirked as the hobbit glared at them all, "Shh! There are guards nearby," he hissed and he ran up the steps and unlocked Kili's cell. Kili had only taken two steps before he grabbed Bilbo by his shoulders,

"Where's Arianna? Have you seen her?"

Bilbo nodded and Kili breathed a sigh of relief. Fili clapped him on the back, a smile on his own face. The company were all patting each other and smiling at Bilbo before making their way up the steps that led out of the dungeons. However, Bilbo shook his head and ran to another set of steps,

"Not that way. Follow me," he whispered. The company all looked at each other before Thorin made his way after Bilbo. As the dwarves followed only Kili stayed where he was. Dwalin rolled his eyes,

"Get a move on lad!" he said as quietly as he could manage. Kili shook his head,

"Have you forgotten about Arianna? I won't leave her here!"

To the dwarves surprise Bilbo grinned at them and shook his head,

"Arianna's fine. She's making her own escape," without waiting for any more questions he turned and ran down the steps. Kili sighed, and with one last look at the steps that led upwards he followed the rest of the company down the steps that Bilbo was running down. Kili gritted his teeth. He didn't care how they got out of this place. He just wanted to see Arianna alive and unharmed.

* * *

Arianna watched Tauriel carefully as the elf led her along several corridors and down two flights of stairs. She couldn't fully explain the reasons for her suspicion of Tauriel. But the fact that she didn't know the woman's motives for helping her meant she wasn't going to let her guard down. However, Arianna had to accept the fact that, right now, Tauriel was the company's only hope of escaping the wood elves and Jared. Bilbo had run off to the dungeons the second he had explained his plan and Tauriel had made sure he had memorised the directions for the dungeons. Arianna couldn't help but swell with pride as she thought of Bilbo. That hobbit was turning out to be far more valuable to the company than they'd first thought. Granted however, they hadn't planned on being trapped in the kingdom of the wood elves. In fact – they hadn't planned on a lot of things happening. Tauriels long strides meant that Arianna was jogging to keep up with her and the fact that the she elf didn't even look the least bit tired was starting to annoy her.

"Why are you helping us?" she asked again. Tauriels head moved in her direction although she kept her gaze on the corridor ahead,

"There are many reasons," she said quietly, "But I do not agree with keeping innocent people imprisoned. Also," her voice took on a softer note, "I cannot imagine how it would feel to have your home, your family ripped away from you. I know if I was in Thorin's shoes then I would do anything to reclaim my home,"

Arianna nodded silently as Tauriel led her around a corner. As she did so Arianna's eyes caught sight of a locked door and when she stopped and tugged on the handle she could feel Tauriel watching her,

"What's in here?" Arianna didn't look at the elf and instead pushed against the door. Tauriel removed the keys from her belt and fitted one into the lock,

"It's where we put all of your weapons," she said crisply. As the door swung open Arianna's eyes widened at the familiar sight before her. She didn't so much as glance at Tauriel as she strode in and began rummaging about for her weapons.

"We have to go," Tauriel hissed with a hint of urgency in her voice. However Arianna shook her head as she sheathed her sword and brought out several knives,

"If you think I'm going to leave here completely unarmed then you can think again," shielding the weapons from Tauriels view Arianna hurriedly picked up several more of the dwarves weapons. They were heavy and she had a feeling they would need more than a few knives. But any more would attract someone's attention. So it was with a heavy heart that she left both her bow and Kili's as she turned around and followed Tauriel back down the corridor. When Tauriel had locked the door Arianna noticed with interest that they were moving downwards the whole time. She frowned and hovered her hand over her sword. If the elf tried any tricks then she would regret it. Tauriel said nothing as she led Arianna down a final flight of steps that led into the cellars. Without saying a word Tauriel pushed Arianna against a wall of barrels as voices could be heard coming down another flight of steps. Arianna breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the dwarves – being led by a very impatient Bilbo – came into view. However, instead of smiling, the company seemed annoyed by their surroundings.

"I don't believe it!" Kili hissed, "We're in the cellars!"

"Ye're supposed to be leading us out not further in!" Bofur agreed. Bilbo opened his mouth but the dwarf shushed him before moving towards a huge pile of barrels that were resting on their side. His mouth dropped open as he saw Arianna standing there with Tauriel. As soon as they saw the elf the dwarves were instantly on their guard. They glared at Bilbo who merely nodded at the elf. Kili's eye flew to Arianna and he snarled at the elf who simply raised an eyebrow. Arianna sighed,

"Don't worry. She's helping us,"

Thorin's eyes widened and Arianna had a feeling he was completely lost for words,

"Why?" Fili asked. Tauriel watched as Arianna handed knives to several of the dwarves,

"Because it's the right thing to do," she said simply. Everyone stood silently and Tauriel looked at Arianna,

"I have to go. If they find you missing I need to play my part,"

Arianna nodded and the company watched with interest as the two shook hands. Leaning forward Tauriel whispered,

"If you get the chance…rip that filthy assassin apart from head to toe. It's what I'd do if someone did that to me"

Arianna nodded and Tauriel turned to move when Kili grabbed her hand,

"Thank you," he said, "For helping her,"

Tauriel nodded before turning on her heel and running up the steps. As the company carried on staring at their predicament, Kili wrapped an arm round Arianna and held her close,

"Are you okay?" he whispered. She nodded and he gave her a frown,

"Tauriel told me what you were going to do," he shook his head as she looked down at the ground,

"You were willing to leave with him to save my life?"

"Kili…I would do anything to save your life," Arianna said as she remembered the vision she'd seen in Mirkwood, "Anything at all."

Kili nodded,

"You're beautiful. Do you know that?"

Arianna gave an immodest shrug before her lips met with Kili's. Her talk with Jared had showed her _just how_ much she loved the dwarf prince and this kiss was filled with longing for him,

"Ugh, can you two do that somewhere else," Fili grinned, "Maybe when I don't have to watch,"

Kili and Arianna smiled at each other as they broke apart. Kili kept a tight grip on her hand before stepping back to look at the barrels. All were without lids and Bilbo nodded at them,

"I know what I'm doing," he whispered, "Everyone, climb into a barrel. _Quickly!_" he added when the company frowned at him. Looking at the barrels Arianna watched as the dwarves shook their heads,

"Are ye mad?" Dwalin growled, "They'll find us,"

Bilbo shook his head and Arianna swore she could see a smug grin on the hobbits face,

"No they won't. I promise you. Just trust me,"

A silence followed. Arianna looked at the dwarves before pulling away from Kili. She looked over at Fili and tossed him one of the daggers she's taken. As he looked at him, his eyes widened in gratitude,

"I couldn't save them all," she said apologetically, "So I went for the nicest,"

He nodded mute thanks at her before she began climbing into one of the barrels. Kili stared at her but she just nodded. From up above a loud bang could be heard and panic began to set in on the company's faces,

"Do as he says," Thorin growled, knowing they had no choice if they wanted to escape. Silently the dwarves began climbing into their own barrels. Kili gave Arianna a reassuring smile as he climbed into the barrel above hers. Despite the situation she grinned back at him as Bilbo began counting the barrels to make sure everyone was in one. Arianna watched as he moved towards a lever and her head – along with everyone else's – popped out to look at him,

"Now what?" Bofur asked and Bilbo gave a wild grin,

"Hold your breath," he muttered. Arianna gripped the sides of her barrels tightly and looked up at Kili,

"Would now be a bad time to say I can't swim?" she joked. Kili winked at her before the floor began to move downwards. The dwarves cried out as the barrels rolled along the slope and dropped down into the water.

_**So then…they've escaped! Sorry if anyone thought the woodland realm bit was quick but I want to focus more on the bits AFTER they escape the wood elves. Also, no cliff-hanger! Although we all know what's going to happen to the company next.**_

_**Please don't forget to review**_


	29. Barrel Riders

_**Big thanks to KarstOfprox and slickman, for following the story. WOW! Over 10,000 views as well! Thanks for all the support.**_

_**Sorry I didn't update yesterday but I was introducing a friend to Lord of The Rings – this involved an 11 hour movie marathon which sadly left no time to post the next chapter.**_

_**Eruwadehiel95 – I always felt sorry for him in the films so I wanted to give him a good romance in my story. Glad the suspense is working out well.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – I would keep apologising for all the cliff hangers but I can't help adding them! I love stories with suspense in them!**_

Barrel Riders

Arianna shut her eyes and held her breath as her barrel hit the water and went underwater for a few seconds. Only when she could feel her head break the surface did she dare open her eyes. Kili was smiling at her and she could see that – despite everything – he was enjoying this. Looking around Arianna counted thirteen barrels for thirteen dwarves and it was at this point that her heart sank,

"Bilbo," she gasped. Kili reached across and grabbed her hand,

"He'll be fine," he said. Arianna bit her lip before breaking into a smile as she saw a small figure fall into the water from above. As Bilbo swan to the surface Nori pulled the hobbit towards him and Bilbo grasped the barrel with shaking hands, his eyes wide with shock from the cold.

"Well done Master Baggins," Thorin said. Bilbo waved his hand away as the barrels began to float down the river. Still underneath the woodland realm Arianna couldn't deny Bilbo's plan had been pretty ingenious. Not that she was going to admit that when surrounded by a group of dwarves; but as she looked at Bilbo the pair of them nodded to each other.

"Come on," Thorin said as he began to paddle his barrel through the water. As the rest of the company followed suite Arianna noticed Kili hadn't taken his eyes off her face. Aware that she could be blushing she looked over at him. He brushed his dark hair away from his face and gave her a worried look,

"Are you sure you're alright?"

Arianna realised she was still gripping the edge of her barrel. She shrugged her shoulders,

"I wasn't joking when I said I couldn't swim,"

Kili frowned at her as though she'd just said she had two heads. He fixed a smile on his face,

"Don't worry. I won't let you drown," he said. However, Arianna could still tell he was worried. As the barrels carried on floating down the river she reached over and took his hand,

"What is it?" she whispered. Kili kissed her hand,

"What did Tauriel mean when she said "rip that filthy assassin apart. It's what I'd do if someone did that to me"?"

Arianna looked at him in shock. She hadn't realised he'd heard what Tauriel had said. She moved away but Kili held onto her, his eyes full of worry,

"What exactly did Jared do to you?" he said, his voice full of anger. Arianna opened her mouth when she heard Thorin yell,

"Hold on!"

Pulling away from Kili and grabbing onto her barrel Arianna screamed as she dropped a few feet into a far larger river. Looking back she saw they were no longer underground and were instead surrounded by trees and banks on both sides. The small waterfall behind them grew smaller and smaller as the current pushed the barrels along. Pushing her wet hair from her eyes Arianna watched as Dwalin spat water from his mouth, glaring at the half drowned figure of Bilbo as if it was his fault. However, Arianna's gaze was fixed on the small open gateway in front of her. The guards on the bridge weren't even looking in the direction of the river and once again she could feel hope bubbling inside of her. Thorin began paddling again to try and force his barrel to move faster. The others began doing the same when a loud horn rang out from somewhere behind them. One of the guards looked down and Arianna saw his eyes widened as he reached out and grabbed at a large lever sticking out of the wall.

"No!" Thorin yelled as the gate began to shut. He tried to paddle faster but his efforts were useless and his hands brushed against the metal gate as it clanged shut. Several more barrels hit Thorins as the company began to cluster under the small spot beneath the bridge. The elf who had pulled down the lever fixed Thorin with a glare before pulling out his own sword. The dwarves who had knives pulled them out although Arianna knew the game was up. The elf raised his sword but before he could do anything a thick arrow hit him in the neck and he fell to the ground. Arianna bit down a cry as a huge orc jumped over the bridge and stood over the dead elf. Tall and bulky with only one good eye Arianna was shocked to find she could see a resemblance to Azog in the orc. He gave her a vile grin as another elf guard dropped dead to the ground.

"_Kill the dwarf filth,"_ the orc roared, _"But bring me the girl!"_

"You'll have to kill me first," Arianna looked over at Kili who was glaring at the orc. She drew her sword and looked over at him as the orcs began jumping on the barrels. Arianna swung at any that came too close to her or Kili and in the midst of all the noise she could hear Thorin yelling at them to find shelter under the bridge. A small orc jumped on Kili's barrel and grabbed him by the hair – intending to pull him under. With a fierce cry Arianna sliced at the orcs arm and it howled in pain. Kili used the opportunity to sink his knife into its stomach. As its body fell to the ground Arianna spied the lever. None of the orcs were paying any attention to it. Looking over at Kili she flashed him a manic grin before pushing herself out of the barrel. He stared at her,

"What are you doing?"

"Getting us out of here," she said. With a single jump Arianna landed in a crouch on the stone steps that led to the bridge. Behind her Kili looked at the lever in realisation. He turned back to see Arianna slice an orcs head off with her sword before turning to see two more running at her. Gritting his teeth he climbed out of his own barrel and jumped out of the river. Crashing into one of the orcs Kili delivered a hard punch to its face that knocked it senseless. Arianna stared at him,

"What are you doing?"

"Making sure you don't get killed," Kili ducked a blow from the second orc whilst pushing Arianna up the steps towards the lever,

"Kili!" Dwalin yelled. Kili turned to grab the orc club from the dwarf and he turned and swung it at the orcs head. Arianna watched with a proud smile on her face. Kili was clearly in his element. He moved with ease, dodging every blow that came at him. As an orc came up behind him, sword raised, Arianna reached for a knife when she saw a knife fly through the air and embed itself in the orcs back. Both she and Kili turned to see Fili staring at the dead orc grimly. Dropping his club Kili ran up the steps to join Arianna. He gave her a manic grin and she shook her head,

"And you say you aren't reckless,"

He shrugged before his eyes widened. Arianna swung her sword above her head as she turned round to face the orc that stood behind her. It dodged the blow but she sliced its arm with her second. Kili paused for a second and as she kicked the orc away Arianna looked at the lever with determination. Kili nodded and ran to the lever. Pulling her sword from the orcs chest Arianna turned with horror to see the one eyed orc aiming a large bow at Kili's figure. Gripping a knife she watched it fly towards the orc. It roared in pain and dropped the bow as it pulled the knife from its arm. Arianna's grin faded however as the cloaked figure of Jared appeared from out of nowhere and picked up the bow. She shook her head, pleading with him,

"Don't!"

He shook his head,

"You have to learn my dear. That actions have consequences," he said before letting the arrow fly. Arianna raced towards Kili, a scream ripping from her throat as the arrow hit him in the leg. His outstretched hand froze and he gave a gasp of pain before falling to the floor,

"KILI!" Arianna looked down to see Fili's terrified face. She heard Thorin yelling as well but her face was fixed on the smiling figure of Jared who threw the bow aside. Screaming she flung out her hands and sent a shockwave that through Jared and several orcs backwards. Her own legs gave way as she dropped beside Kili. As she stroked his face he grinned at her,

"I'm so sorry," she managed to get out. He shook his head,

"Could have been worse," he hissed in pain and Arianna stared at him,

"How?"

"It could have been you," he said. Grabbing his shivering hand Arianna watched as another orc ran towards Kili, his sword raised. Arianna grabbed her own sword when the orc dropped down into the river. Looking up Arianna saw the figure of Tauriel running towards the orcs, another arrow in her bow already. As more elves joined in the fight Arianna could also see the form of Legolas in the fray, killing any orc that dared come too close to him or Tauriel. She smiled to herself as she saw the love in the blonde elf's eyes. Kili gave another gasp of pain and Arianna suddenly remembered the lever. Without letting go of Kili she turned and pulled it down. A loud clang told her the gates were opening and as she peered over the bridge she saw Thorin and the dwarves travelling down the river.

"Kili!"

Arianna looked to see Fili staring up at the pair. His eyes wide with fright as he held onto Kili's barrel with one hand and a large rock with another. Arianna looked around at the chaos. The elves were able to deal with the orcs, but she gritted her teeth in silent rage as she saw the figure of Jared making his way through the fighting. Kili gripped her hand and her heart snapped as she looked into his eyes. She stroked his face before kissing him hard on the mouth. As their lips met her hand moved to her neck. Kili frowned as she pressed something into his free hand and when he saw her mother's necklace his eyes widened as he realised what she was going to do,

"Arianna no!"

"Forgive me Kili," Arianna whispered as tears fell down her already wet face. Kili shook his head but Arianna just pushed him closer to the edge of the edge of the bridge. Kili held her hand and looked up at her,

"No matter what happens," he whispered, "I'll always find you,"

Arianna nodded, "And I you." She looked down as Kili pressed something small into her palm and her eyes widened as she saw his rune stone. Pressing it against her lips she shoved it in a trouser pocket before pushing Kili over the edge of the bridge. Kili yelled in pain as he slid into his barrel and the arrow snapped out of his leg. Fili looked up at Arianna with wide eyes,

"Thank you," he gasped. Arianna didn't even bother to wipe her tears away,

"If you let anything happen to him…" she yelled. Fili nodded as both his barrel and Kili's slid under the bridge and down the stream. Slashing at the closest orc Arianna watched as the cloaked figure of Jared began running across the bank.

He was following the company.

Ignoring the roars of the orcs that surrounded her, Arianna jumped off the bridge and landed on the bank. She could still see the barrels floating down the river and her heart stopped as she saw more and more orcs were appearing on the bank. Arianna watched as both Tauriel and Legolas shot down any orc they aimed at, but she could tell the elves were outnumbered. Besides, her only aim was finding Jared and ripping him apart. Gripping her sword she moved in between the elves as the cloaked figure carried on running down the bank.

* * *

The dwarves watched in horror as Arianna ran along the edge of the bank. Kili gripped the barrel with one hand and his leg with the other. Both Fili and Thorin shot him looks but he shook his head,

"It's nothing," he said weakly. His gaze never left the slight figure of Arianna. As worried as he was, he couldn't help but watch her with awe. Jared might be a monster; but he was clearly a master of his art. The way she fought was almost as stunning as she was. It was only when he saw the cloaked figure of Jared did he realise Arianna's plan.

"Kili!"

Kili spun round to see a huge orc standing over him. His mouth dropped open as the orc raised its sword. With a warrior roar Dwalin swung a club into the orcs body and it tumbled into the water. The dwarves looked up as they saw almost a dozen orcs standing on a thick tree branch that ran across the width of the river. Any dwarf that carried a weapon raised it and began hacking at the branch. The orcs screeched as they fell into the river and Kili delivered a fierce punch to one that was clinging onto Ori's barrel. Bombur cried out behind him and the company watched as the fat dwarf was flung into the air – barrel and all – and began rolling down the hill; hitting almost every single orc that stood in its path. The sight itself was amusing and if they hadn't been so worried about getting out alive the company might have appreciated the humour. Bomburs wrecked barrel fell to pieces and he flung a heavy branch at the nearest orc before jumping into Arianna's empty barrel that had been floating down the river. The dwarves watched as their barrels neared the edge of the river that would led out into the lake. At this sight Kili spun round in his barrel and his eyes grew wide with horror,

"No," he could barely whisper the words. The dwarves closest to him turned and their own eyes widened as Jared kicked Arianna to the ground. She rolled away from him and sliced his calf with her sword as she jumped to her feet. With a single swing she sliced an orcs head off and turned to hit Jared in the arm. He yelled something at her before swinging his own sword. Arianna fell against a tree and as she got to her feet Kili saw the orcs charging towards her. He knew they wouldn't kill her, but that didn't stop him from trying to climb out of his barrel to help her. But the second he put any weight on his leg he cried out in pain. His cry reached Arianna and she looked up at him, blood running down one side of her face. Kili tried to shout out a warning but he could barely breathe never mind talk. The company looked on as Jared crept behind Arianna and hit her over the head with the hilt of his sword,

"NO!" Thorin yelled as Jared picked Arianna up and slung her unconscious body over his shoulder. The dwarves all turned to Kili who was staring at the sight in shock. As Jared vanished from their view the dwarves were powerless to do anything as the barrels travelled down the river. As they drew close to the edge of the woodland realm Thorin spotted the tall figure of Legolas grappling with an orc and he felt an odd stab of worry as another orc came up behind the elf and raised its sword. Grabbing Dwalin's club from him Thorin raised it and threw it towards he orc with all his might. As the creature fell to the ground Legolas looked up at Thorin and the two men nodded at each other as the barrels turned a corner and vanished from sight.

* * *

The company carried on travelling through the river but they all noticed with a heavy heart that they were staring to lose the current,

"Make for the shore," Thorin yelled as the company began paddling their barrels towards the rocky shoreline. Kili's bumped against the edge first and he hauled himself out onto dry land. His leg burned every time he stood on it and he only managed to make a few steps before collapsing in pain. He saw Fili run towards him with a scrap of fabric in his hand,

"Sit still Kee," he whispered the pain in his eyes. Kili hissed as his brother did his best to mop the blood up. Gripping the rocks around him he saw several of the dwarves staring at him in shock,

"I'm fine," he said shortly, "It's nothing,"

"On your feet," Thorin snapped. Fili shot his uncle a glare,

"Kili's wounded. His leg needs binding,"

Thorin looked down at his nephew. The blood was soaking through his trouser leg and Thorin vowed he would hunt down that assassin and skin him alive.

Assuming Arianna didn't do it before him.

"There is an orc pack on our tail. We keep moving," Thorin knew how harsh he was sounding. But if the orcs caught up with them, Kili's leg would be the least of his worries.

"To where?" Balin asked as he tried to wring the water from his beard. To everyone's surprise Bilbo stepped up,

"To the mountain," he said as brightly as he could, "We're so close,"

"A lake lies between us and that mountain," Balin told him. However, he and the others were unable to keep the smiles from their faces as they looked at how keen the hobbit was to get to Erebor.

"Then we go round," Bilbo argued. Dwalin shook his head,

"The orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. And we have no real weapons to defend ourselves,"

The company looked down. Only a few of them held the daggers Arianna had stolen for them. Now they just served another reminder of what their lass had done for them on this journey.

Thorin looked at Kili's pain racked face and sighed,

"Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes," he strode off and as the rest of the company began tipping water out of their boots, Fili wrapped a long scrap of his tunic around his brothers wound. Kili made a small sobbing sound and Fili didn't dare look at Kili's eyes,

"I'm so sorry Kili," Fili placed a hand on his little brother's shoulders as tears fell down Kili's face. They weren't tears from the pain of his wound, but for the pain that was in his heart. The company all looked at each other in sadness,

"We'll get her back lad," Balin gave Kili his best smile but the young dwarf simply looked down at the ground,

"Am I being punished for something?" Kili whispered as Fili helped him to his feet. His brother frowned,

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm starting to feel that me and Arianna aren't meant to be together," Kili said dully, "Every time something happens to us, she ends up being hurt the most," he tried to take a step and his leg burned in pain. Fili grabbed him by the shoulder and held him close,

"Now she's in the hands of that monster," Kili said quietly, "And I can't even go after her,"

Fili pressed his forehead against Kili's. Everyone in the company knew that if he wasn't injured, Kili wouldn't think twice about abandoning this company to go after Arianna. And Fili knew he would go with him if that were to happen. He held his little brother close,

"We will find her Kee. I promise you," Fili smiled but Kili shook his head,

"Can you promise that we'll find her alive?"

Fili bit his lip. Even he couldn't give his little brother that promise no matter how much he wanted to.

There was the sound of cracking sticks and the company jumped to their feet. Dwalin grabbed a heavy tree branch and brandished it furiously. In the glare of the sun they could make out the shape of a tall person holding a bow and arrow at the terrified figure of Ori. Snarling, Dwalin jumped in front of the young dwarf and brandished his makeshift weapon. Everyone gasped as the figure let loose an arrow, hitting the branch in between Dwalin's hands. Kili raised his hand, intending to throw a rock at the figure, but they merely turned and let loose another arrow. Kili watched as the rock fell from his hands.

"Try that again," the figure said as he raised his bow a third time, "And you're dead,"

_**I'm so sorry for the feels guys! Also for giving yet another cliff-hanger! This chapter ran away with me and I wanted to give Jared a bigger part in the story. Don't forget to review.**_


	30. The Smuggler of Laketown

_**OMG 11,000 views already**__** big thanks to Lillal and Sbonsi for the follows and for all the support I've received from everyone.**_

_**Celebrisilweth – It will certainly be a more interesting escape for her this time around.**_

_**Thebananakeeper – Feel really touched that you like my story that much and I'll try to keep it as good as possible.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – I'm glad my story is good enough for a binge read!**_

The Smuggler of Laketown

Everyone stared at the shadowed figure in stunned silence. It was only when the bow was lowered by a few inches did Balin choose to step up,

"Excuse me," he raised his hands as the man swung the bow at his face. Balin gave an anxious smile,

"You're from Laketown, I presume?"

"Aye," the man stepped forward and the company saw a tall figure with shoulder length black hair and a small moustache. Balin gently lowered his hands and indicated towards the boat that was tied to one of the rocks,

"That barge over there. It wouldn't be available for hire by any chance?"

Thorin watched his old friend with interest. Ignoring Balins question the man lowered his bow and picked up one of the empty barrels. The company followed as he began to lower them into his barge,

"What makes you think I will help you?"

Balin looked the man over, "Those boots have seen better days," he said nicely enough, "As has that coat,"

The man looked down at himself as he carried on loading the ruined barrels. The rest of the company gave Balin encouraging nods and glances. Sighing the old dwarf took another step closer to the man,

"No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed?" He grinned "How many bairns?"

"A boy and two girls," the man gave a sympathetic smile to Balin who had a feeling he might be getting somewhere with this stranger,

"And your wife…I imagine she's a beauty,"

His smile fell as the man's shoulder sank and his own small smile froze on his face,

"Aye…she was," he said quietly. Balin shook his head,

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

Behind him Dwalin and Thorin shared a look. Shaking his head Dwalin glared at his older brother,

"Come on, come on! Enough of the niceties," he growled. Thorin gave a small nod as the man turned round and eyed the company carefully,

"What's your hurry?" he said with a raised eyebrow. Clenching his fist Dwalin took a step towards him,

"What's it to you?" he said fiercely. Balin sighed at the dwarfs tone but the man simply loaded the last barrel onto his barge,

"I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands,"

"We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains," Balin said placidly before anyone else could speak, "We are journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills,"

The man took another look at the barrels before facing the still soaking wet dwarves,

"Simple merchants you say?"

The company could tell he didn't believe them. Stepping forward, Thorin eyed the man closely,

"We need food, supplies, and weapons," he added, "Can you help us?"

The man looked him over carefully before grabbing a thick length of rope, "I know where these barrels came from," he said. The dwarves looked at each other uneasily,

"What of it?" Thorin growled. The man gave him a smile,

"Whatever business you had with the elves, it can't have ended well," he traced one of the arrow marks in the nearest barrel, "No one enters Laketown without leave of the Master. Half of his wealth comes from trade with the Woodland Realm. He would see you in irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil,"

Thorin looked over at Balin and gave him another nod. Shaking his head Balin tried one last attempt as the man stepped onto his barge,

"I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen,"

"Aye," the man grinned, "But for that, you need a smuggler,"

"For which we would pay," Balin was at his side in an instant, "Double," he added firmly.

The man looked at the dwarves before looking at the barrels on his barge. As he faced the dwarves his gaze was drawn to a young dwarf with dark hair and a bandaged leg. But it wasn't his injury that softened his face but the look in the dwarf's eyes. He had lost someone dear to him. Someone he cared about. Someone he loved.

It was a look the man recognised all too well.

Throwing his rope on the deck he ran a hand through his hair before nodding to the dwarves. As they began making their way onto his boat he shook his head, a small smile on his face.

What was the worst that could happen?

* * *

Bilbo was the last of the company to board the barge. He watched as Fili helped his brother sit down before putting an arm around him and allowing Kili to rest his head against him. Bilbo could feel tears in his own eyes as he looked at Kili's grief stricken face. He felt responsible for what had happened. Although it had been Arianna's choice to fight Jared, Bilbo couldn't help feeling that the whole thing could have been prevented.

"Tell me. What is a hobbit doing among dwarves?"

Bilbo spun round as the man looked down at him from his position at the back of the barge. He was using both hands to help steer the barge through the waters but his gaze was resting on Bilbo's face. Bilbo blushed,

"How do you know about Hobbits Mr…?"

"Bard," the man said. Bilbo nodded,

"Bilbo Baggins," he said with his usual politeness. Bard nodded in greeting,

"We had a couple who came to Laketown once….many years ago,"

Bilbo's eyes widened. He could only imagine Hobbits living in the open countryside – like his own Shire – not in small towns like the one they were travelling to. He smiled as he looked at the dwarves fondly,

"A mutual friend roped me in on their…journey," Bilbo bit his lip as Bard looked at the dwarves suspiciously. However, his gaze softened as he looked back at Bilbo,

"Their certainly…an interesting group," he admitted softly. Bilbo smiled and nodded,

"They're stubborn, grumpy, have no table manners or any idea about personal hygiene," Bilbo bit down on his laugh,

"But they're the most loyal and courageous group I've ever met," he was surprised at the pride in his voice as he remembered his first meeting with the company. How they wrecked his house and eaten all his food. How they'd had the decency to clean up before they left; before he came running after them. Bard looked down at Bilbo with interest before fixing his gaze back on the waters. Sensing he wasn't going to be doing much more talking, Bilbo left Bard and headed down to join the dwarves who were grumbling among themselves,

"Watch out!" Bofur cried. The dwarves gasped as huge rock formations sprung out of the icy waters. Bilbo watched as Bard steered the barge with ease. However, the rest of the dwarves were glaring the him,

"What are you trying to do?" Thorin shouted, "Drown us?"

"I was born and bred on these waters, Master Dwarf," Bard said calmly, "If I wanted to drown you. I wouldn't do it here,"

The dwarves turned to each other nervously and Dwalin shook his head,

"I've had enough of this lippy lakeman," he hissed, "I say we throw him over the side and be done with it,"

"Bard," Bilbo said, a hint of annoyance lacing his voice, "His names' Bard,"

"How do you know?" Bofur asked. Bilbo sighed,

"Because I asked him,"

"I don't care what his name is," Dwalin said, "I don't like him,"

"We don't have to like him," Balin said gently, "We just have to pay him,"

The dwarves all looked at the small piles of coins that were being put down on the deck. Balin steadily counted them up,

"Come on lads, empty your pockets,"

Several of the company muttered to themselves as their money went in the pile. Kili chucked down his money and went back to leaning against the edge of the boat. He felt no reason why _he_ should have to be paying the man who was taking him further and further away from Arianna. His wound throbbed and he hissed angrily as another stab of pain ran through him. He ignored Fili's worried gaze and instead focused on the barrels in front of him,

"We have a problem," Balin said, "We're ten coins short,"

Everyone turned to Gloin, who stared at them in outrage,

"Come on Gloin," Thorin said softly, "Give us what you have,"

"Don't look at me!" he shouted in defence, "I have been bled dry by this venture. And what have I seen for my investment. Naught but misery and grief!"

He broke off as he realised no one was listening to him. Instead they were all slowly getting to their feet and staring at the view before them. Even through the thick fog they could see the looming shape of the Lonely Mountain. Gloin swallowed nervously,

"Bless my beard," he muttered as he drew out a purse, "Here take it. Take it all,"

Bilbo cleared his throat and the company turned to see Bard standing by them,

"Give me the money. Quickly,"

Thorin shook his head. They were so close now. He wasn't going to be cheated by this stranger,

"We will pay you when we get our provision. But not before,"

To his surprise, Bard ignored the hostility in Thorins voice, "If you value your freedom you'll do as I say. There are guards ahead,"

The company turned to Thorin, who nodded,

"Do as he says,"

As Bard shoved the money in his pocket he patted one of the barrels,

"Everyone in!" he said quietly but with an air of command in his voice. Grumbling the dwarves clambered into the barrels. They weren't on their sides this time and so a lot harder to get in this time. Several of the dwarves had to be helped in and Bilbo was so small that Bard simply picked him up under the arms and lifted him into the barrel.

"Whatever you do," he said, "Don't make a sound,"

The company nodded before ducking into their barrels as Bard steered the barge towards the town. The dwarves held their breath as he stopped at a small bridge outside the city.

"What's he doing?" Dwalin hissed. Inside his own barrel Bilbo looked through the small hole in the side of it. He watched as Bard walked over to another man and began talking to him,

"He's talking to someone," he hissed, "He's pointing right at us!"

"What!" Thorin hissed – not so quietly. Bilbo swallowed,

"He's pointing right at us,"

"That villain! He's selling us out!" Dwalin growled as footsteps drew closer to the barrels. Crouching in their barrels the dwarves prepared themselves to fight when – in each barrel – a small load of dead fish was thrown in over the dwarves. Bilbo gagged on the smell and he didn't dare open his eyes. Bard looked at the fish filled barrels in the hope his disguise would work. If not then it wouldn't just be the dwarves who would be after his blood,

"Quiet!" he barked as he heard the dwarves cursing, "We're approaching the toll gate,"

He drew the barge to a halt before the gates and smiled at the man who was stepping out his small office to see him,

"Halt! Good inspection," an old man said before seeing Bard and grinning, "Oh it's you Bard,"

"Morning Percy," Bard said with his own smile. Percy gave a nod of his head,

"Anything to declare,"

"Nothing except I am cold and tired and ready to go home," Bard said truthfully. Percy smiled,

"You and me both," he passed back the papers, "All in order,"

Bards smile fell as another figure stepped into view. Dressed in black with a face like a rats the other man held up a hand,

"Not so fast," he sneered before looking at the barge, "Consignment of empty barrels from the Woodland Realm… Only, they aren't empty are they Bard?"

Bard resisted the urge to say something in retort. The man narrowed his eyes,

"If I recall, you are licensed as a bargeman and not a fisherman,"

"That's none of your business," Bard said before he could stop himself. The man shook his head,

"Wrong. It's the Master's business. Which makes it my business,"

Bard rolled his eyes, "Come on Alfred, have a heart. People need to eat,"

"These fish are illegal. Empty the barrels over the side." Alfred said as two men stepped past him and onto the barge. As they grabbed one of the barrels Bard tried to think of what to do. One of them was already being tipped and as the fish fell into the sea a thought came to Bard,

"Folk in this town are struggling," he said in what he hoped was a pleading voice, "Times are hard,"

Alfred shrugged, "Not my problem,"

"And when people hear the Master is dumping fish back into the lake. When the rioting starts," Bard couldn't help but enjoy the look on Alfred's face,

"Will it be your problem then?"

A slow minute of silence fell before Alfred held up a hand, "Stop!"

Bard watched as the barrel was put back with the others. He was also aware of Alfred gaze on his face,

"Ever the peoples champion, eh Bard? Protector of the common folk? You might have their favour now bargeman but it won't last,"

Bard ignored him as Percy called for the gate to be raised. As he pushed his barge through Alfred called out one last time,

"The Master has his eye on you; you'd do well to remember that. We know where you live,"

"It's a small town Alfred," Bard said cheerfully, "Everyone knows where everyone lives,"

Ignoring the people he passed, Bard steered his barge through the flow of rivers that went through Laketown. He looked on as he saw the state of most of the buildings – and most of the people. He hadn't been lying to Alfred; times really were hard. They had been for a long time now. As he brought the barge to a stop he ignored the confused face of an old man as he began kicking some of the barrels over. As the fish fell to the floor the dwarves coughed and spluttered,

"Take your hands off me," Dwalin growled as he climbed out of his barrel. Gloin and Oin did likewise whilst Fili helped to pull Kili out of his barrel which had been kicked on its side. As the fish stung his leg Kili shut his eyes in pain before hurriedly getting to his feet and seeing Thorin stare at him,

"Kili…" he began. However Kili shook his head,

"It's nothing," he said coolly. The company wiped as much of the fish off as they could before following Bard who handed the watching man several coins,

"You never saw them. They were never here," he whispered, "The fish the can have for nothing,"

"Da!"

The company stopped as a young boy ran up to Bard. From his height and build to be around thirteen. He stared at the dwarves before looking at Bard,

"How house. It's being watched!"

* * *

"Remind me again," Gloin said, "Whose idea this was?"

The company were all huddled underneath Bards house. Or, to be more exact, his toilet. Bard and his son – Bain – had agreed to go home as if nothing was happening whilst the dwarves were to wait underneath his house where they would sneak up through Bards toilet. When the plan had been suggested none of the dwarves had been happy about the idea. Dwalin had even threatened to rip Bards arms off if he couldn't find another idea. However, Thorin and Balin had agreed it was the only way.

"It was Bilbo's if I recall," Kili said moodily. Fili eyed his brother carefully. Gloin fixed Bilbo with a glare but the hobbit folded his arms,

"None of you complained about my plan to get us out of the Woodland Realm," he said defiantly. Kili glared at the hobbit, trying to rein in his anger,

"And look what happened then!" he hissed, "It's thanks to your plan that Arianna's life is now in danger,"

"Kili!" Fili shoved his brother roughly as Bilbo's face fell and he looked down at his feet,

"Bilbo I didn't mean…" Kili said softly, "I'm sorry,"

Bilbo sighed, "I know. If I could get her back right now then don't you think I would?"

Kili nodded sadly as a knock could be heard above them. As the toilet door opened Dwalin climbed up first,

"If you speak of this to _anyone_..." he growled. Bain held out a hand to help but he waved the boy away and turned round to help Bilbo climb out. A young girl – a few years older than Bain – was watching the whole scene,

"Da? Why are there dwarves climbing out of our toilet?" a younger girl appeared by her side and she grinned at the company,

"Will they bring us luck?" she asked as Bard hugged her. The dwarves followed Bain up the stairs and into Bards house. The two girls began handing them out dry clothes as they huddled around the fire,

"Thank you," Bilbo smiled at the youngest girl and Bard put an arm round her,

"These are my daughters: Sigrid and Tilda,"

The company gave low bows to the girls who grinned shyly. As the dwarves began to change, Sigrid and Tilda moved away to make some hot soup that they poured into a mix of bowls and mugs in order for everyone to have some. Meanwhile, Thorin was gazing absentmindedly out of the window. As he looked at one of the towers his eyes widened and he felt his chest tighten,

"A Dwarvish Wind-Lance," he muttered. Bilbo looked up at him,

"You look like you've seen a ghost," he smiled but Balin shook his head,

"Because he has," the old dwarf said sadly "The last time we saw such a weapon the city was on fire. It was the day the dragon came. The day that Smaug destroyed Dale, Girion, Lord of the city, rallied his bowmen to fire upon the best. But a dragon's hide is tough, tougher than the strongest armour. Only a black arrow, fired from a wind-lance could have pierced the dragons hide; and few of those arrows were ever made. Girions store was running low when he made his last stand,"

"Had the aim of men been true that day," Thorin said bitterly, "Much would have been different,"

"You speak as if you were there," Bard said slowly. Thorin frowned,

"All dwarves know the tale,"

"Then you would know that Girion hit the dragon," Bain said, "He loosened a scale under the left wing,"

Dwalin shook his head sadly, "A fairy story lad,"

Wiping his eyes Thorin glared at Bard,

"You took our money," he said coldly, "Where are the weapons you promised?"

"Wait here," Bard said as he turned and went outside. With a signal from their uncle both Fili and Kili moved to where Balin and Thorin stood,

"The last day of autumn is approaching," Thorin said softly,

"We must reach the mountain before Durin's day," Balin said gravely. Kili sighed,

"And if we don't?" he looked at his uncle, "If we fail to find the hidden door before that time?"

"Then this quest has been for nothing," Thorin said darkly. Kili looked at his feet. If they couldn't find the door in time; then Arianna would have sacrificed herself for nothing. He looked at the company and his heart sank and he found himself looking for the redhead figure of his One. But instead all he found were dwarves and a hobbit. Fili nudged him as Bard came back with a huge bundle over his shoulders. Throwing it on the table the dwarves crowded round eagerly to see what he had. As they saw the assortment of items they turned to each other in disgust,

"What is this?" Thorin lifted up a long pole with a hook on the end,

"A pike hook," Bard said calmly, not noticing the anger on the dwarves faces, "Made from an old harpoon,"

"And this," Kili picked up a huge hammer, grimacing at the weight,

"A crow bill we call it. Made from a smithy's hammer. It's heavy in hand I grant you. But in defence of your life, these will serve you better than no else,"

"We paid you for weapons," Gloin argued, "Iron forged sword and axes,"

"It's a joke," Bofur said in disgust and the dwarves nodded; throwing the items back on the table,

"You won't find better weapons outside the city forgery," Bard said in annoyance. Thorin and Dwalin turned to each other and nodded slowly. Seeing the look Balin drew Thorin to one side,

"Thorin. Why not take the offer and go?" Thorin scowled but Balin was firm, "I've made do with less. So have you,"

Thorin nodded and moved back to the table when Bard slammed his hands down and glared at the dwarves around him,

"You're not going anywhere!"

_**So then….they've arrived in Laketown! Sorry for not having any Arianna action in this chapter but I'm going to be doing alternative chapters so they'll be plenty of her in the next update. Thanks again for sticking with me for so long. Sorry for the late update but this week is the last week before my first term at university so things have been a bit chaotic (!) Although my updates are still going to be fairly quick they might not be every day because of how busy I am right now so you guys might just have to bear with me for the next few weeks.**_

_**Please let me know what you think, always appreciate it.**_


	31. Freedom and Hope

_**Well over 11,000 views now! Big thanks to Katie Racki and luvgirl101 for following the story. **_

_**Marina Oakenshield – Don't worry…I can't bear for them to be apart either!**_

_**Bunny's daughter – This next chapter Is (pretty much) ALL Arianna. I just fancied a bit of experimenting with how I wrote this part of the story.**_

_**Celebrisilweth – Hopefully Arianna's chapter was worth waiting for.**_

Freedom and Hope

When Arianna came to, her head felt like it'd been kicked by a horse. Groaning to herself she forced her eyes opened and instantly regretted it as a blinding pain hit her in the head. She could feel her stomach churning and she frowned as she realised her body was being jolted up and down in a steady rhythm. Swallowing nervously as she saw the horse's legs beneath her body Arianna felt a sharp pain in her arms. Wriggling as best as she could she muttered a curse when she found her hands had been bound behind her back.

"Now then, Arianna," Jared's voice filtered through the air and Arianna froze as he patted her back,

"We don't want you scaring the horse do we?"

Craning her neck sideways Arianna looked up into her former master's face. He smiled sweetly and mustering as much strength as she could Arianna spat at his face. Wiping his eye Jared glared at her and with one hand grabbed a clump of hair and pulled so her neck was almost bent backwards. Arianna gasped at the sudden pain as Jared's grip increased,

"What did I tell you about trying to escape your past Arianna?"

As he let go of her, Arianna's head gently rested against the horse's body. Its pitch black hair rubbed against her cheek. With a click of his teeth, Jared pulled the horse to a halt and jumped off. Arianna didn't say anything as she was pulled off the animal and all but thrown onto the soft grass. Spitting out a mouthful of leaves she rolled onto her back as Jared stood over her. Arianna's blood froze as his hands reached down to her and she could feel the flashbacks running through her mind.

_Jared's hands on her body. Tearing at her clothes. Planting a thick kiss on her mouth._

Swallowing the nausea Arianna kicked out at him. However he simply moved to her side and picked her up under her arms. As she was dragged to a nearby tree Arianna looked into Jared's face with pure hate,

"I'm going to kill you," she said slowly. He raised an eyebrow as he sat down beside her and took out a cloth.

"In your current situation," he said, "I doubt that highly,"

"Give me half a chance and I'll rip you apart," she spat – all the while struggling with the ropes round her wrist. However, she knew Jared was an expert at tying knots. Despite the struggling Arianna couldn't feel any sort of loop hole she could loosen. Resting her head against a tree she watched as Jared poured some water on the cloth. He moved towards her and as his hand reached for her face she tried to move away. However he tutted and gently began to clean the drying blood from her face.

"Your goodbye to your dwarf lover was really touching," he said, his eyes never leaving hers. Arianna stiffened but Jared shrugged,

"It brought a tear to my eye,"

"You don't have the right to speak of Kili," Arianna spat, "And trust me…if I don't kill you then I imagine every member of the company will want to sink a sword into your chest for what you did to him,"

"You mean the same company of dwarves we're following?" Jared looked up to meet her gaze and he dropped the damp cloth,

"I hope you remember what he looks like Arianna. You'll never be able to see his face again,"

"What do you mean?" Arianna looked closely at Jared's face but he got to his feet and sat down a few feet away from her,

"Your precious dwarf will be dead before you get to set eyes on him," his eyes flashed, "The arrow that hit him. It was a Morgul arrow,"

"NO!" Arianna wasn't even aware of the scream that came from her mouth. All she could see was Kili; laughing, cheerful Kili who was always there with a smile. A smile that would soon be wiped from his face as the poison flew through his body and choked the life from him. Jared patted her face and she kicked out at him. As her boot connected with his knee he growled in anger. Dodging his first blow Arianna sucked in her breath as his fist hit her in the stomach. Coughing whilst bent over she was aware of Jared's quiet laugh and as she raised her head she could see the smile on his face,

"You are a monster," she spat each word at him. His eyes narrowed and he grabbed her chin,

"I think I've had enough of your voice for one day," he hissed; pulling out a strip of cloth. Arianna's curses were muffled as Jared pulled the gag between her lips and tied it at the back of her head. She glared at him but he merely kissed her on the cheek and picked her up in his arms. Her kicks and struggles did nothing to him and once again she was slung over his horse like a sack of food. Grunting as her head hit the horse's side, Arianna shut her eyes in despair. She tried to think of Kili; laughing and smiling. But all she could think about was the vision of him she had seen in Mirkwood. His dead body with arrows sticking out of it. She shook her head. That vision she had seen. At the time she had been so sure it was real. Now, her mind was struggling to pull together her thoughts as all she could think of now was the Morgul poison spreading through Kili's body without him even realising it. Shutting her eyes Arianna prayed that the vision she had seen was real. Because if it was then it meant that, _somehow_, Kili would survive the poison. But she didn't know which was worse; him dying from an arrow wound. Or surviving it just to be killed later on.

* * *

Legolas paused as he entered Tauriels room. She faced him, hands on hips, with her bow slung across her back and two long knives strapped to her belt. He sighed to himself as she simply gave him a small smile,

"You cannot hunt thirty orcs on your own," he said quietly. Her smile grew and she moved towards him,

"But I'm not on my own," she whispered, her eyes looking at Legolas's own weapons that he held in his hands. Taking her hand in his, Legolas stroked her palm gently,

"You knew I would come?" he grinned at her, placing his lip against her knuckles. Tauriel shrugged,

"Your father has kept us safe all these years. Yet he would allow orcs to invade out lands and hunt down our prisoners?"

Legolas frowned at the note of mockery in her voice. He knew that, at this moment, his father's mind was still under the influence of Jared. He remembered watching as the assassin had carried the unconscious body of the girl with him and the looks of sheer fear on the dwarf's faces as the pair vanished from sight. He slung his bow onto his back and looked into Tauriels green eyes,

"It's not our fight," he said to himself. Those had been his father's words when Legolas had asked permission to follow the orcs. He was aware of Tauriel hardening her gaze,

"Are we not part of this world?" she drew close to him, "If we don't do something now then I fear that when we do choose to act…we will be too late,"

Legolas kissed her forehead gently, "Why is it you are always right?"

She winked at him before pushing past him and out into the corridor. Legolas followed close behind. He knew they would not be stopped until they reached the main gates that led into the Woodland Realm. Even then, one word from him and they would be allowed through. Although he did it very rarely, Legolas had to admit that pulling rank with the guards was something he did enjoy. Certainly it allowed him far more freedom than his father would have approved of. At the thought of his father Legolas's smile faded. He knew how angry the king would be when he realised where his son and Tauriel were. Legolas knew his father suspected something of his feelings towards Tauriel and he knew that when they came back she would take the brunt of the punishment. Legolas nodded to the guards at the gate who eyed him nervously. They had clearly heard about his fathers orders to seal off his kingdom and for a second Legolas wondered if they would stop him and Tauriel. The guards looked at their weapons and then turned to a tall elf with long dark hair. He cleared his throat before stepping forward,

"Your father…" he began slowly. Legolas raised a hand,

"We've been ordered to check the surrounding area in case we find any more orcs," the lie slipped easily off his tongue and he didn't dare look in Tauriels direction. She had an annoying ability to make him burst out laughing with a single look. The elf guard nodded before bowing low and allowing the pair past. As they entered Mirkwood the two of them shared a glance; and as soon as they had vanished into the thick trees Legolas wrapped an arm around Tauriels waist and pulled her body towards him. Their mouths pressed against each other's and as Tauriels fingers combed through Legolas's hair his own hands were running down her body. They drew apart and looked at each other; their faces a mix of happiness and slight nervousness.

"Shouldn't we be hunting orcs?" Tauriel raised an eyebrow and Legolas shrugged,

"I couldn't help it," he smiled softly at her, "You're just too beautiful,"

Tauriel smiled at him before stepping backwards and working her way along the elven path that led through the forest. In the daylight the forest didn't seem as threatening as it did at night. Also, the fact that they had killed the invading spiders meant there was little to fear in Mirkwood. But that didn't stop the two elves from running as fast as possible to try and reach the other side. The orcs already had a head start on them and Legolas knew if they reached the dwarves first then the orcs would slaughter them where they stood. It wasn't that he was concerned about the lives of the company – they were dwarves after all – but the thought of just allowing an orc pack to invade his kingdom, kill several elves and then just leave didn't sit well with him at all. As he looked at the figure of Tauriel in front of him Legolas shook his head in amusement. He knew the other reason for why Tauriel was doing this. He'd seen her face fall when their orc prisoner had told them about the dwarf who had been hit with a Morgul arrow. He'd watched her stare in horror as Jared had picked up the lifeless Arianna in his arms. Tauriel was always the most passionate of the pair about life. He knew she would do anything to try and bring the girl and the dwarf together again.

"Legolas!"

His head snapped up as he saw Tauriel pointing to something through the thick trees. Standing close beside her he looked over her shoulder to what she was pointing at. His eyes widened as he took in the chaotic scene before him. His nose pricked as it caught the unmistakeable stench of orcs. Branches had been torn down and scattered across the ground. Legolas could see the dead body of a spider lying a few feet away and he knew from the wrecked remains it was one killed by the orc pack. Tauriel took a few paces forwards and kept her eyes fixed on the ground firmly. With a grim nod she looked up in the direction she had been pointing at,

"They went that way," she muttered, "They wanted to use the forest as a short cut,"

Placing a hand on her shoulder Legolas pulled her to her feet, "They'll try to reach the dwarves at the point where the river meets the lake,"

"In which case," Tauriel winked at him, "We need to try and get there first,"

* * *

As Jared pulled his horse to a stop Arianna craned her neck to see where they were. They'd left the forest behind and were now standing on a rocky outcrop that overlooked a large lake. The rain was starting to pour down on them but Jared's figure remained emotionless as he jumped off the horse and pulled Arianna off. She cried out as he flung her on the hard rocks but the gag muffled her cries. Ignoring his prisoner, Jared slowly walked along the edge of the rocks, his gaze never leaving the horizon,

"They must have crossed the lake," he muttered, "They're heading for Laketown,"

Arianna wasn't listening. Instead she'd tried to change her position in the hope of being more comfortable. However, as she had done so her eyes had spotted a dark patch on one of the rocks. As she shuffled closer her heart stopped beating as she realised it was blood.

"Kili!" she tried to shout. The gag drowned her words out and Jared didn't even turn his head as he answered her,

"Admiring the evidence of my handiwork are you?" he sneered. Arianna could feel the rage and anger bubbling inside her. She had to get away. Find a way to escape and then run to Laketown as fast as possible. If she got to the dwarves in time then maybe – just maybe – she could save Kili. Spying a large, jagged rock Arianna placed her bound hands against it and began moving them up and down in an effort to saw through her bonds. It was an agonizingly slow process and Jared kept moving every few minutes. Arianna couldn't afford to be caught. Not now. Not ever. As she could feel the ropes around her wrists loosening she flicked her gaze towards the horse. Her sword was strapped to its saddle along with two of her knives. Turning back to Jared's still form Arianna didn't make a sound as the ropes feel away from her skin. Tearing the gag from her mouth she rubbed her wrists before silently getting to her feet and moving towards the horse. Jared still didn't move as her hand reached out for her sword. Not even daring to breathe Arianna pulled the sword from its sheath and gripped it in her hands. This was the opportunity she'd been waiting for for so long. She raised the sword above her head and as she crept towards Jared. He moved his head slightly before spinning round, his own sword raised. Arianna gasped as the blades clashed and Jared grinned menacingly at her,

"Do you think me that stupid?" he hissed, "Did you honestly think I wasn't expecting you to try and escape?"

"Bastard!" Arianna spat in his face before blocking his blow and kicking him in the stomach. He staggered back but Arianna knew her chance was gone. She could never beat Jared in single combat. She'd never even come close to doing it. Her head still ached and her arms were heavy from being tied up for so long. As Jared's fist connected with her cheek she fell backwards from the blow. He stood over her and punched her again and again. She could feel the cuts opening up on her face and her eyes widened as she saw the look on his face.

The same look he'd had when his two accomplices were beating her to within an inch of her life.

With a scream Arianna flung out her hand and Jared flew backwards. He grunted as he landed on the rock and as he pushed himself to his feet Arianna jumped up as blasted him backwards again. Clutching his ribs Jared coughed harshly but Arianna didn't even flinch as she saw the blood trailing from his mouth and nose. He gave her a weak smile as she walked towards him,

"Such a power," he gasped, "If I had only known your potential…"

With an agonising cry Arianna grabbed her sword on drove it into his leg. His screams rang in her ears but she wasn't listening.

"Who hired you?" the words flew from her mouth so fast she didn't understand herself.

"Who hired you to kill Thorin? I know you. You take orders from nobody,"

Jared gave her a twisted smile and Arianna jerked her wrist. He screamed again as her sword drove deeper into his leg.

"He lives…in Dol Guldur," Jared spat. Arianna froze at the mention of the Old Fortress. More blood poured from Jared's nose and his chest rose in deep, haggard breaths,

"I want a name." Tears fell down Arianna's cheeks as her hands gripped the sword fiercely. Jared shook his head and she twisted her wrists again,

"A NAME!" Her screams were mixed into Jared's agonising cries. He gave a slow nod,

"I don't know his real name. He calls himself…the Necromancer,"

Arianna stared down at him in horror. For a few second her brain struggled to process Jared's words. But instead all she could think about was Kili. Kili, Thorin, the rest of the company. Wiping the tears away she gripped the sword hard,

"That's for me," she yelled as she pulled her sword out and stabbed him again.

"That's for my family!" She wanted to hear him scream. Hear his pain. His screams mingled with one of her own as she felt a sharp pain in her side. Looking down she saw Jared gripping a blood stained knife in his hand. Pulling at her torn tunic, Arianna stared at the blood that was coming from the wound. She allowed her sword to fall to the ground. She wouldn't need it. Not for this. Jared's face twisted into a grimace as she stood over him. Her eyes flashing with fire. Raising her hands above his body she smiled when she saw his eyes widened.

"And this is for Kili," she dropped her voice to a whisper before bring her hands down in a sweeping gesture. Shutting her eyes she heard Jared's drying screams as his body was ripped apart. Her hands didn't shake and they dropped down to her sides. Opening her eyes Arianna couldn't stop the bile in her throat as she looked at the scattered mess of Jared's body. Tears leaked out of her eyes as she knelt down to pick her sword up.

_Freedom._

Arianna couldn't comprehend the feeling. She didn't even remember what it felt like to be free. To not have to be looking over your shoulder all the time. She knew she was meant to feel liberated, but at the minute, she couldn't bring herself to feel that way. Her brain wasn't processing what she had just done. What the consequences of her actions might be. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't register the hot breath on the back of her neck. It's only when she heard a feral snarl did her eyes widened. She bit down on her cry as a thick hand clamped down on her shoulder.

_**CLIFF-HANGER! Very sorry for adding yet another one to the ever growing list. Also, what did you guys all think about the fight between Arianna and Jared? I was a bit worried I had ended things a bit too quickly but I want Arianna and Kili to be together so much so that had to come first. Also, I hope every one is still enjoying the Tauriel/Legolas relationship.**_

_**Don't forget to let me know and thanks for being so patient with me. **_


	32. Thieves in the Night

_**Over 12,500 views! Big thanks to HectorsTrojanPrincess and DiKaiser for following the story.**_

_**Eruwaedhiel95 – I was going to pad it out a bit more but got VERY carried away with that chapter.**_

_**Marina Oakenshield – Sorry for the cliff-hanger!**_

_**Bunny's daughter – It was certainly an interesting one to write as well as read. **_

Thieves in the Night

The dwarves glared at the look on Bards face,

"What did you say?" Dwalin growled murderously, stepping forward with his fists raised. Bard sighed,

"There are spies watching the house," he said softly, "and probably every dock and wharf in this town. You must wait until nightfall,"

The dwarves looked at each other in relief. However, Thorin dragged Dwalin over to a small corner of them room,

"The armoury," he whispered, "Do you think it's possible?"

Dwalin shrugged, "I'm not the one you want to be asking Thorin,"

Thorin nodded before reaching out and arm and beckoning Nori over to them. The dwarf frowned at them before looking at their expressions. He nodded slowly as he joined them,

"Let me guess," he whispered, "You want to break into the armoury?"

"We need weapons," Thorin argued, "Proper weapons. How else can we take down a dragon?"

Nori mused over this and Thorin shared a look with Dwalin. Dori and Ori's brother was an expert at burglary and Nori would have been the back-up option if Bilbo hadn't joined them. The ginger dwarf nodded with a sly smile,

"It could be possible. But we have no idea where it is? And we can't exactly ask can we?"

"Can't we?" Thorin smiled as he looked over to see Bilbo chatting with Bards youngest daughter. The hobbit said something that made Tilda laugh and Dwalin and Thorin nodded at each other.

"Master Baggins?" At the sound of Thorins' voice Bilbo looked up guiltily. However, when the dwarf beckoned him over he pulled a face at Tilda, who giggled as he left the fireplace and joined the three dwarves in the corner,

"What is it?" Bilbo looked up at their faces and his face fell as he realised what they had been talking about,

"Thorin you can't just _break_ into the city armoury!"

"We need weapons lad," Dwalin hissed angrily. Bilbo nodded,

"I know. But is there not another way? We don't even know where it is,"

"We don't," Nori said, "But they do,"

Bilbo turned to look over at the figures of Tilda and Sigrid who were sitting by the fire with Fili, Bofur and Balin. The two girls were laughing at one of the dwarf's tales and Bilbo frowned as he worked out Nori's plan.

"Why do I have to ask them?"

"Because they like you," Dwalin said gruffly. Bilbo raised an eyebrow as he heard the annoyance in the dwarves tone. Shaking his head the hobbit moved back to the fireplace where he sat down beside Tilda. As they watched Bilbo talking to the little girl Thorin and Dwalin smiled at each other. They would only have to wait until nightfall and then luck would be on their side again.

* * *

Kili gently lowered himself down onto the large double bed that was at the back of the room. His leg burned with pain and he gingerly ran a hand over his bandage. He could see the other dwarves all sitting by the fireside, laughing and chatting amongst themselves. Ignoring his friends Kili found himself staring at Bard. The man hadn't noticed him and was instead staring out of the window absentmindedly. Kili could see the look in Bard's eyes and it unnerved him slightly. He'd had that same look on his face when he'd overheard Thorins name being mentioned and Kili wondered if Bard had some connection to the line of Durin. Not by blood obviously. But there was something in that man's face that suggested he knew of the quest to reclaim Erebor.

"_The lord of the silver fountains, the king of cavern stone._

_The king beneath the mountain shall come into his own._

_And the bells shall ring in gladness at the mountain kings return._

_But all shall fail in sadness, and the lake will shine and burn."_

Bard whispered the words to himself as he turned to look at the company of dwarves. He was aware of the injured dwarf - Kili? - watching him and for a second he wondered if his words had been heard. However, when he saw Kili turn away Bard softened.

"Da?"

Looking up Bard gave his son a weak smile as he drew Bain over to one side. His son eyed him carefully and Bard lowered his gaze,

"There's something I must do," he whispered, gripping his son hard,

"Do not let them leave,"

Without giving Bain a chance to reply or ask a question Bard strode out of the front door and ran down the steps that led from his house. Kili watched the whole thing happen with interest. However, his thoughts moved immediately back to Arianna. He knew the others would tell him not to lose hope. That they would find her alive and in one piece. But Kili couldn't allow himself to hope. If he did then he knew that his hopes would simply be shattered within the blink of an eye. He didn't know what he would do if anything happened to Arianna. He didn't know if he would even be able to carry on with his own life – never mind the quest.

"That must hurt,"

At the sound of a girls voice Kili forced a grim smile onto his face as Sigrid sat down beside him. She was holding a bowl of water in one hand and a cloth in the other. Kili couldn't stop his eyes from rolling,

"I'm fine. I wish everybody would just understand that,"

Sigrid looked down, "Is that why you always wait until they aren't looking before you let your face show any sign of pain?"

Kili shook his head. This girl wasn't stupid. As he looked up he saw both his brother and uncle watching the pair. As realisation dawned Kili gave Sigrid a small smile,

"The company sent you didn't they?"

She nodded a smile on her own lips, "They're just worried about you. The blonde one – Fili – thought you might prefer it if someone who wasn't a member of the company had a look,"

Kili sat back and allowed Sigrid to unwrap his makeshift bandage. He looked over at Fili who gave him a small nod and Kili nodded back. His brother knew him so well. He hadn't wanted to appear weak in front of the others – by others he mainly meant Thorin – and so had ignored Oin's offers of help. As Sigrid began cleaning at his wound he shut his eyes and tried his best to block out the pain. She gave him an apologetic smile and he shook his head,

"Don't worry about it,"

They both sat in silence for a few minutes. After cleaning his wound Sigrid began to wrap the bandage back around it,

"Who was she?"

"Sorry?" Kili blinked at her question. She looked at him with a sad smile,

"The person you're grieving for?"

"I…"Kili was at a loss for words, "How do you know it was a girl?"

"The look in your eyes," Sigrid explained, "It's the same look I see in my father's eyes whenever he mentions my mother,"

Kili sighed, "Her name was Arianna. She is…was a member of this company,"

"What was she like?" Sigrid's questions weren't the questions of a nosey person. Running a hand through his hair Kili pulled his silver clip out and rearranged it in his dark hair absentmindedly,

"She was…indescribable. Her hair was like a raging fire and her eyes were as pale as the early morning sky. She was a fighter. In fact she was more than that, she was a survivor," Kili could tell he was smiling now. Even the mere thought of his One brought a slither of a smile to his face. Sigrid smiled back at him as she continued,

"She saved us so many times. Risked her life so that we would be okay. I knew when I first saw her fight – I would never find another one like her,"

"What happened?" As Kili's face fell Sigrid cleared her throat, "If you don't want…I didn't mean to pry…"

He shook his head, "its fine. We were escaping from an orc attack. Only someone else was there. He had been hunting Arianna. She tried to kill him. She stayed behind so we could escape," Kili ignored the tears that were falling down his face,

"She gave up her freedom. Possibly her life just so we could make it here. So I would be safe,"

Shuffling closer to Kili, Sigrid put an arm around his shoulder,

"Why are you so certain she'd dead?"

Kili shrugged and Sigrid shook her own head,

"Never give up hope. Have you seen any evidence that she's died?"

Kili shook his head and Sigrid nodded, "Things will turn out all right. Trust me,"

Kili nodded although he didn't believe the girls words. However he forced himself to smile and Sigrid gave him a reassuring hug,

"Excuse me," Thorin stepped forward, "Could I have a word with my nephew please?"

Giving Kili another smile Sigrid got up and walked back towards the rest of the company. Thorin sat down beside his nephew. Gripping the edge of the bed Kili looked down at his feet,

"How do you feel?" Thorin asked. Kili shrugged,

"Fine. Honestly," he added as Thorin raised an eyebrow. Thorin shook his head,

"Your mother's going to kill me if she ever finds out about this,"

"Well I wasn't planning on telling her," Kili winked at his uncle who gave him a flash of a smile. Sighing, Thorin placed a hand on Kili's shoulder,

"Kili - and I want you to be honest - if you weren't injured; if we swore not to stop you. Would you have left this quest to go and find Arianna?"

Kili looked down at the ground again. He didn't know what to say. The truth was the he would have jumped out of his barrel and ran after Jared the second he had laid his hands on Arianna. But he was afraid that – if he said the truth – his uncle would think he no longer cared about the quest to reclaim Erebor. Kili did care about it. But without Arianna by his side he felt lost.

"Kili?" Thorin whispered. Swallowing his fears Kili nodded,

"Yes. I'm sorry if that disappoints you but…" Kili broke off as his uncle embraced him,

"You could never disappoint me Kili," Thorin said roughly, "Unless you had said no,"

Kili gave his uncle a bashful grin and Thorin looked down at the floor,

"I swear Kili. We'll find her. We'll never stop looking until we do,"

Nodding slowly Kili looked up at his uncle, who looked him up and down,

"Another question. Can you walk?"

Kili nodded furiously and Thorin sighed,

"What is it?" Kili had never seen his uncle look so determined in his life. Grinning at him Thorin helped him to his feet,

"We're getting ourselves some weapons,"

* * *

As the sun finally set in the sky Thorin looked at his company who were all sound asleep by the dying fire. Bards two daughters had gone to bed long ago - leaving just Bain to deal with. The boy stood by the door, his eyes never left the company but Thorin could see the worry in the boy's face. The unease and fear. Nudging Dwalin the two dwarves got to their feet. Bain was instantly moving towards them and Dwalin rolled his eyes,

"Just stretching our legs laddie," he attempted his best smile, "There's not much room by the fireplace,"

Bain nodded and Thorin narrowed his eyes, "Where's your father?"

"He just went out," Bain said quickly, "He'll be back." Both dwarves shared glances and Bain frowned at them. Thorin gave a swift nod and as he and Dwalin began shaking the rest of the dwarves Bain hurried back to his post by the door.

"You can't leave!" he cried as the company made their way towards the door. With a nod from Thorin, Gloin and Dwalin moved towards Bain who backed away against the wall beside the door,

"I was told not to let you leave," the dwarves looked over at Bain. Even though he was taller than all of them he was far skinnier than they were. Rolling his eyes Dwalin wrapped his arms around the boy and lifted him off the ground,

"Thank you for the hospitality lad," Balin gave the boy a cheerful smile as the company made their way down the steps outside. Bain squirmed in Dwalin's grip but the dwarf's arms wrapped tighter around his chest,

"Thanks for the soup," Dwalin growled as he threw Bain onto the double bed and strode from the room. As they shut the door behind them Thorin looked at the expectant faces of the company,

"Where now?" Oin whispered, clinging to Dori. As they turned a corner everyone was surprised to see that Bilbo's face was the only happy one,

"I know where to go," he whispered, jumping up and down with his excitement. Thorin pushed his way past the others and fixed his eyes on Bilbo,

"Show us," he muttered darkly.

* * *

"Are ye sure this is the right way?"

Bilbo turned round and glared at Bofur who shrugged,

"I'm just asking!" the dwarf protested. Bilbo sighed,

"Tilda said it was right in the middle of Laketown. Take two rights and three lefts then go straight ahead until you reach the end,"

As the rest of the company muttered towards themselves Bilbo ran a hand through his hair,

"Will you just trust me? Please?"

While the rest of the dwarves looked down at their feet, Fili moved away from Kili and grinned at Bilbo,

"We can't ignore those pleading eyes can we?"

Bilbo frowned at Fili's comment – unsure if it was a joke or if the dwarf was being sincere. After a second or two of silence the dwarves followed Bilbo around the corner and their eyes widened as they saw the path was a dead end. A huge building stood at the end of the low wooden bridge that hovered only a few feet above the water. As Bilbo nodded excitedly Thorin drew Nori aside,

"How are we supposed to get in?"

The dwarves looked up at the building. The only windows were halfway up and even a normal sized human would have needed to climb up to reach them. Stroking his moustache in thought Nori eyed the slightly larger members of the company in thought.

"It could work," he mumbled. Thorin nudged his arm,

"What could?"

After much grumbling and muttered curses from Bombur and Gloin, all of the larger, stockier dwarves and gotten onto their hands on knees in order to make a small mountain for the others to climb onto. As Thorin's boot landed on his head Bifur muttered something and Thorin gave him an apologetic smile. Kili went after his uncle; the pain in his leg had lessened slightly although he could still feel a small sting as he climbed through the window. After Kili came Fili, Bofur and Bilbo. Dori and Nori waited behind in order to keep watch and the dwarves on their hands and knees were quick to get to their feet and brush the dirt from their already mucky clothes. Inside it was almost pitch black. The only light coming from the open window. The dwarf's mouths dropped as they saw the mass of weapons that were hanging on the wall.

"Now it does seem a shame to leave them here," Fili winked at Kili who grinned,

"We don't want them to get all rusty do we?"

Fili shook his head - a smile on his face as some of his little brothers humour returned - and began removing swords and axes from the wall. Kili held his arms out and as the weapons were passed to him he could feel the pain in his leg start to come back. Fortunately the darkness meant that no one could see his grimace as he made his way towards the stairs. As two more swords were passed to him by Bilbo he saw his uncle watching him worriedly,

"Are you alright?" Thorin whispered. Kili nodded determinedly,

"Yes. I can manage,"

As his uncle clapped him on the shoulder, Kili pushed past the others and began making his way down the stairs. He had only taken a few steps when he felt his legs tremble beneath him. Kili didn't even have time to cry out as a short stab of pain rushed through him and he collapsed on the stairs. The weapons fell from his firm grip and clattered down the stairs – making enough noise to wake up a dragon. The dwarves stared at each other in horror for a second before they heard shouting coming from outside. Kili didn't want to look at the others. He didn't want to see the face of his uncle. Instead he tried to push himself to his feet when rough hands pushed him back down again. He heard Fili yell in anger and Kili froze as he felt the cold blade of a knife rest against his neck. Daring to look up he saw Thorins face fall. The man holding the knife dug the blade into Kili's neck and it was only when a few drops of blood fell down his skin did the dwarves raise their hands in surrender. As more guards grabbed the dwarves, Kili found himself being pulled to his feet. As the knife left his neck he swallowed nervously. One of the guards glared at Thorin,

"The Master will want to hear about this," he snarled. As they were shoved outside with the rest of the company Kili found himself next to Fili who was looking at him with worry and anger. Kili bowed his head,

"I'm sorry Fee,"

Fili shook his head, "I'm not angry at you little brother," he pulled Kili close as if to confirm this. Kili shook his head as they were forced back along the paths and towards a large house. How could one arrow wound make so much go wrong?

"What's the plan now Thorin?" Balin moved closer to Thorin who gave a helpless shrug. His main concern was Kili. He knew his nephew would be playing down his injury. Thorin knew enough of orc attacks to know that Kili's leg would need serious attention. As the company were forced in front of the large house they glared angrily at the large crowds of people who had gathered. Snow was starting to fall from the sky, blurring the shape of the Lonely Mountain on the horizon. The doors of the house burst open and the dwarves glowered at what was one of the ugliest men they had ever seen. Tall and very fat, the man stayed at the top of the steps. The small figure of Alfred appeared behind him and the dwarves muttered angrily at each other as they saw the smug smile on Alfred's face. Meanwhile, the other man who they took for the Master was eyeing them warily. He pulled his thick fur coat around him and ran a hand over his thinning ginger hair.

"What is the meaning of this?" His voice boomed in the air and many crowd members moved back slightly at his tone. The guard holding Thorin shook the dwarf roughly,

"Caught them stealing weapons sir,"

The master's eyes widened – almost with glee,

"Ah! Enemies of state then?"

"This is a bunch of mercenaries if there ever was sire," Alfred said. At this insult the dwarves pushed against their guards and with a growl Dwalin stepped forward,

"Hold your tongue!" he snapped. The crowed watched him in wonder, "You don't know to whom you speak. This is Thorin. Son of Thrain. Son of Thror. King under the Mountain!"

The crowd gasped as Thorin stepped forward. The Masters beady eyes narrowed and his brain was instantly working out how this could work in his favour. With a regal nod Thorin stepped past Dwalin and faced the crowd,

"We are the dwarves of Erebor. We have come to reclaim our homeland!" He looked at the crowd and jumped onto the steps behind him,

"I remember this town and the great days of old. Fleets of boats lay in the harbour, filled with silks and fine gems. This was no forsaken town on a lake! This was the centre of all trade in the north!"

The dwarves grinned at each other as the crowd began nodding. Many of the older people were shouting out in agreement. Thorin bowed his head with a sly smile,

"I would see those days return. I would relight the great forges of the dwarves and send riches flowing from the halls of Erebor!"

The crowd were cheering now. The Master watched Thorin carefully. If he were to offer his support for this quest then it would certainly put a stop to any talk of an election.

"Death! This is what you will bring upon us!"

Everyone turned in stunned silence as Bard pushed his way forward to face Thorin. The company snarled at the bargeman in anger but Thorin was shaking his head,

"You can listen to this naysayer. But I promise you this; if we succeed, all will share in the wealth of the mountain. You will have enough gold to rebuild Esgaroth ten times over!"

The crowd were cheering again. Many were clapping and Thorin folded his arms at Bard's angered face,

"All of you listen to me! Have you forgotten what happened to Dale?"

Thorin bowed his head as the cheering stopped and the crowd fell silent. Bard nodded,

"Have you forgotten those who die in the firestorm?"

The crowd were shaking their heads now. Many were even calling out and the company stared at each other sadly. Bard jabbed his finger in Thorin's direction,

"And for what purpose? The blind ambition of a mountain king, so driven by greed he could not see beyond his own desire!"

Thorin glared at Bard and several of the other dwarves were pushing forward angrily. Many crowd members were also shouting and it was only when the Master held up his hands did silence fall,

"Now, now," he said in a patronising voice, "We must not, any of us, be too quick to lay blame," he smiled at Bard, "Let us not forget that it was Girion – _your_ ancestor, Bard – who failed to kill the beast!"

As Bard bowed his head Thorin stared at him with wide eyes filled with anger. Alfred nodded with a sly grin on his face,

"Its true sire," he nodded, "We all know the story. Arrow after arrow he shot, each one missed its target,"

Bard bit his lip as the crowd were now directing their anger at him. In the mix of the dwarves Fili and Kili watched Bard; torn between feeling angry and feeling sorry for him. It wasn't his fault his ancestor hadn't kill the dragon, just as it wasn't Thorins fault the dragon came in the first place. Running a hand through his hair and ignoring the jeering crowd Bard stepped towards Thorin,

"You have no right to enter that mountain," he hissed. Thorin glared,

"I have the only right," he muttered. In that moment Bard could see just a glimmer of how much this meant to the dwarf. Thorin nodded before turning back to the Master,

"I speak to the Master of the men of the Lake. Will you share in the wealth of our people?"

Everyone watched the Master with interest. The man himself was staring down at Thorin. For him there was only one choice he could make. If he wished to remain in power then he needed the peoples support. There was only one way he would get that. Holding up a hand he winked at Thorin,

"I say to you…WELCOME!"

The crowd burst into loud cheers and the dwarves grinned at each other. Thorin turned back to see Bard glaring at him before the man turned and pushed his way angrily through the crowd. Despite the cause for celebration Thorin couldn't help but have a bad feeling. As if business between the dwarves and Bard hadn't yet finished.

_**So then….what did we all think to that. Once again sorry there was no Arianna action in this chapter but I promise you there'll be plenty to come! Hope you all liked the sweet Kili moments as well**_

_**Just wanted to say that I might have to put this story on a very brief halt for a couple of weeks. I am in no way abandoning it – in fact I've already worked out endings for ALL the major characters – but because next week is my very first week at university a lot of my time will be spent on that. Also…I'm slightly struggling with Arianna's chapter so it gives me time to do a decent job of it. Big thanks to all the support I'm getting and don't panic…the second I can, I will be updating. **_


	33. Unexpected Saviours

_**Almost 14,000 views! Big thanks for all the support (and patience) I've been getting from everyone. Huge thanks to everyone who's followed the story as well.**_

_**Eruwaedhiel95 – Thanks for being so patient with me. I will try and update at least once a week…maybe even quicker if I have the time.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – Don't worry…I binge read my own story so I could get back into the 'Hobbit Zone'!**_

_**Savarra – Thanks for the good luck message.**_

Unexpected Saviours

Arianna could feel the orcs hot breath on the back of her neck. Her hand halted around her sword hilt as she heard another snarl. Swallowing slowly Arianna stood up to her full height and turned around. The orc towered over her and its grip on her shoulder tightened. Arianna clenched her fists as a taller – bulkier – orc strode forward. Her heart slowed to a standstill as she realised it was the orc who had almost shot Kili back in the Woodland Realm. As it bared its teeth in a sickly smile she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"I will not be afraid," she thought to herself. However, as the orcs moved in around her Arianna couldn't help but shrink slightly. The orc leaned forward and sniffed her face. Gagging on the foul breath Arianna backed away cautiously – only for her arms to be roughly grabbed by a thin orc standing behind her. Licking its lips the orc traced the scar on her neck before nodding,

"_Bring her Fimble,"_

Arianna's mouth dropped open slightly at the sound of the orcs name. As Fimble's grip tightened around her arms her instincts kicked in and she began struggling and squirming furiously. Fimble hissed something in her ear and snapped his teeth against her cheek. Swallowing nervously in order to try and contain her fear Arianna turned to Fimble and spat in his face. The orc growled viciously before shaking her so hard Arianna thought her head was going to come off her shoulders. The bulkier orc pushed past her and stooped over the scattered remains of Jared's body. As its appreciative growl rolled through the air Arianna shut her eyes. The rain plastered her hair to her face, mixing in with the slow tears falling down her face. Fimble shook her again but before she could even open her mouth in protest Arianna found herself being ripped away from Fimble. Her stomach crawled as the first orc held her tightly in its arms,

"_Our master wants your power,"_ the orc growled. Its voice was deep and cut through Arianna like an axe blow. At the thought of axes Arianna's bottom lip trembled as she remembered the axe lodged in Bifur's head. Her freedom gone in less than a minute. Her legs dragged on the ground and Fimble's thick paws bruised her skin. He stank of dried blood and as she looked at the small pack of orcs Arianna could see many of them were covered in it. Her eyes widened as she took in the sick smiles on their faces,

"No!" she breathed hoarsely. The company couldn't be dead. She had seen the blood from Kili's leg wound earlier – meaning they must have gotten here a long time ago and already crossed the lake.

"_Bolg!"_

Fimble's voice grated in her ear. Bolg hissed something in black speech and Arianna cried out as he moved forward and grabbed a fistful of her hair. Twisting her neck to get a better view of Bolg, Arianna mustered up her courage,

"Whatever your master wants….he's never going to get it,"

Bolg's paw swiped her across the face; leaving two vicious looking scratches running across her cheek. As blood dripped down her skin Arianna swallowed the bile in her throat,

"_You cannot refuse him,"_ Bolg grunted, _"Nobody can refuse him!"_

As the orcs cackled around her Arianna watched as Bolg knelt down beside the small patch of blood on the ground. Dipping a finger into it he brought it to his nose and sniffed,

"_The dwarf filth,"_ he muttered, _"And something else. Man flesh!"_

Arianna frowned at this. She had seen no sign of any living people ever since she had left Mirkwood. Getting to his feet Bolg forced his way back towards her,

"_They have found a way to cross the lake,"_ he hissed. Arianna leant backwards slightly as the huge orc towered over her. As she moved her body she winced. Looking down she could see the patch of blood of her tunic was getting bigger. Bolg grabbed her face,

"_My father wants Oakenshield dead,"_

"If you think I'm going to help you in fulfilling that wish then think again," Arianna glowered at the orcs,

"The last person who wanted me to do that ended up being torn apart,"

As the orcs around her began to mutter and grumble, Arianna watched in shock as Bolg threw back his head and uttered a huge roar that caused the very edge of the lake to ripple. The stunned orcs remained silent as Bolg nodded to Fimble. When the orcs hands left her body Arianna didn't even try to reach for a weapon. She'd never make it. An orc would grab her in an instant. Taking deep breaths she tried to find her power inside her. A single blast was all she needed. Bolg nodded at her before shooting out a large arm and grasping her around the neck,

"_We will offer the dwarf scum a deal; Oakenshields life for hers!"_

"_But our master…" _Fimble broke off as Bolg grabbed his neck with his other hand.

"_BE QUIET!"_ Bolg roared Fimble back into silence. As the orc slowly backed away Bolg fixed his gaze back on Arianna,

"_We will offer the dwarf filth this deal. We will let them think they are saving their whore."_ Bolg's smile grew and grew,

"_And then…when we have Oakenshield we will kill him and bring the girl to our master,"_

Arianna looked around in horror as the orcs nodded in agreement. Licking her drying lips she glared at Bolg,

"He'd never agree to it. None of them would,"

As the words left her lips though, a wave of doubt crashed into her. She wasn't related to Thorin. She wasn't even a dwarf. In theory she wasn't important enough for Thorin to give up his life for hers. Yet…as Kili's One…

Arianna's legs trembled as Bolg's hand moved away from her neck and grasped her arm. The orc opened his mouth – revealing rows of small sharp teeth – when behind her, another orc roared in anger as an arrow shot through the air and embedded itself into the orcs arm. Within seconds the orc pack had all drawn their swords and Bolg's grip on Arianna's arm tightened. As silence settled on the whole area, Arianna's eyes narrowed as she saw a tall blonde figure running through the outlying trees. Shaking her head she hurriedly looked in the other direction as Bolg's face peered inches from hers. Uttering a throaty growl he shook her head before pulling Fimble towards him,

"_Elves!"_ Fimble snapped as he held up the arrow shaft. Bolg cursed in black speech before dragging Arianna towards him,

"_Find the elvish filth!"_ Bolg sprayed Fimble with spit but the orc didn't as much as glare. Bolg pulled Arianna towards him,

"_I will track down the dwarf scum and offer them our deal,"_

If Fimble wanted to protest at his leaders orders he didn't show it. Arianna pulled against Bolg's grip as the orc dragged her towards a huge black Warg that stood waiting for them. The beast snapped at Arianna's legs as they drew near and her gaze instantly turned to the trees. Crossing her fingers her eyes widened by an inch as she saw the blonde figure moving through the trees again. Swallowing her fear Arianna's gaze flew to her sword that was lying only a few metres away. Bolg must have read her mind because he pushed her in front of him,

"_You are needed to us alive,"_ he snarled, _"But not necessarily in one piece,"_

As if to prove his point he slowly ran his sword along Arianna's arm and she choked out a nervous gasp. Almost simultaneously another arrow flew through the air and struck Bolg in the hand. As he roared in pain Arianna pulled herself from his grip and slid long the ground in the direction on her sword. An orc lunged at her but she jumped to her feet and swung her sword. Her heart soared as she saw the figures of Tauriel and Legolas jumping from the trees. The blonde haired elf locked eye with her and they both nodded. Dodging an orcs blow Arianna kicked the sword away from her neck and stuck her own in the orcs chest. She didn't notice the two elves were now fighting on either side of her. She could hear Bolg roaring something in Black speech,

"What's happening?" Tauriel watched as the orcs began to fall back. Legolas narrowed his eyes as Bolg jumped onto top of his Warg and began riding off in the direction away from the Woodland Realm,

"I don't understand," he muttered to himself. Sheathing her sword Arianna pressed one hand against her wound and looked up at the two elves weakly,

"They're going after the company," she spat, "They'll try and stop them from reaching the Lonely Mountain. But I don't understand," she looked at the two elves, "Bolg was going to pretend to offer my life for Thorins. He would then kill Thorin and drag me to see whoever it is he serves. So why has he gone off without me?" The two elves looked at her in slight confusion. Arianna opened her mouth before she broke off with a hiss as her wound throbbed. Tauriels eyes widened a fraction and she gently took Arianna by the shoulders,

"Where is Jared?" she asked softly as Legolas moved away to look around. Arianna lowered her head as a single tear fell down her face. She wasn't crying out of guilt. She was crying because she knew her actions had come too late. She should have killed Jared back in the Woodland Realm. She should have killed him before then. But she had been too afraid of her own power. She'd been too frightened of the consequences and because of her cowardice Kili was going to die,

"Arianna?"

Arianna looked up as Tauriel gently pulled her shirt up to examine the wound. The elf's face was unmoving and Arianna looked down to see a long but thin gash running across her side. The elf gave her a soft smile,

"What happened to Jared?"

"Tauriel!"

Both women looked up as Legolas moved towards them. At the sight of his ashen face Arianna lowered her head again. She knew what he had found. Tauriel watched her actions closely but Legolas frowned and stalked towards her. Tauriel made a pacifying move towards him but he stepped past her and pulled Arianna to her feet,

"You will explain what happened here," he hissed. Lifting her head Arianna fixed the elf prince with a cold stare before looking behind her at the scattered remains of Jared's body. Tauriel followed her gaze and her mouth dropped open in horror. Ignoring the faces of the two elves Arianna eased herself out of Legolas's grip and sat back down to allow Tauriel to wrap a scrap of cloth around her torso. Infuriated by her silence Legolas knelt down beside her,

"You _will_ explain what happened," he moved beside her. However, Arianna wasn't intimidated by his actions and simply stared at Tauriel who still met her eye but Arianna could see the wariness behind her soft smile. Gripping the edges of the rocks hard she lowered her head,

"I did what you told me to,"

At her words Tauriel raised an eyebrow. Legolas frowned at his beloved but Arianna's face remained calm,

"I ripped him apart from head to toe. Only I didn't do it because of what he did to me. I did it for what he did to Kili,"

As the two elves nodded Arianna lowered her head,

"Look…I know I owe you an explanation. I will give you one I swear it. But right now the one thing I care about now is finding Kili in time,"

The tears were falling thick and fast now. Tauriel shared a look with Legolas before gently pulling Arianna to her feet and holding her hand,

"We will find him Arianna. And we will heal him. I promise,"

Arianna nodded although her mind wasn't paying full attention to Tauriels words. To her surprise Legolas placed a calming hand on her shoulder,

"You are fortunate that we know where the dwarves are most likely to have headed,"

Arianna frowned at the small smile on the elf's face. Legolas nodded before turning round to look at the lake,

"With any luck the orcs won't know of Laketown's existence. We will travel at first light,"

No!" Arianna stepped away from Tauriel and moved towards Jared's horse. She was aware of both elves following her but she refused to look at them as she grabbed the horses bridle,

"Arianna you can't go after them by yourself,"

"I won't just sit around and wait for Kili to die!" she forced back the tears as Tauriel gently took her hand,

"He won't die," she whispered quietly, "But it's getting dark. It's too dangerous to go now. Also you have to rest. We can't have you collapsing halfway to Laketown,"

Arianna nodded and allowed Tauriel to lead her away from the horse and to where Legolas was sitting. As the two women sat down Arianna noticed the small smile that escaped from Legolas's lips as Tauriel sat beside him.

"You should get some sleep Arianna," Legolas ordered, "I'll take the first watch,"

Arianna didn't even think of protesting. Her limbs ached and she could feel the bruises swelling up on her skin. The hard ground was uncomfortable but as soon as her head touched it she fell asleep instantly.

* * *

Legolas sat back, his head tilted upwards as he watched the night stars. Their peacefulness and tranquillity always brought a smile to his face. Of course they were nothing in comparison to Tauriel. But they made a fine substitute. He turned around to look at the two sleeping figures that had their backs to him. He couldn't help but notice how alike they were – in both looks and spirit. He remembered the devotion on Kili's face as soon as Arianna's name had been mentioned. Legolas had always been brought up in the knowledge that dwarves were selfish, greedy and uncaring to others. But when he had been in the dungeons and he had seen how much Arianna meant to the company he had begun to wonder how much of that so called knowledge was true.

"Aren't you supposed to be on watch?"

Legolas frowned as Arianna got to her feet and moved silently towards him. He shrugged before turning back to gaze at the stars,

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep?" he smiled at her and she nodded before following his gaze,

"I don't think you can find anything more beautiful than the night sky," she said wistfully, "I used to gaze at it every night. I wondered if anything was out there, just waiting to be discovered,"

"In our culture the beauty of the stars in unrivalled," Legolas said, "Although I don't think that's the case,"

Arianna turned to look at the sleeping figure of Tauriel before grinning at the blush of the blonde elf's face,

"That smile you have," she said, "Every time you look at Tauriel,"

"What about it?"

Arianna gently curled a lock of her hair, "Kili always smiled at me like that. Right from when we first met. He smiled all the time but there was always that particular smile he saved just for me," she looked down, "I never even noticed it. Didn't realise what it meant until we ended up in Mirkwood." She clasped her shaking hands together and looked over at Legolas,

"I know you hate dwarves. You think they're cruel and unkind. But you're wrong. The company…I wasn't a dwarf but they treated me as one of their own. Cared for me and kept me safe," a small smile crept up onto her face, "Kili even gave me extra food when he through I wasn't looking because I was so thin when we first met,"

Legolas watched as Arianna's smile faded,

"Those dwarves are the first to make me feel like I belong. Kili is the only person who has loved me. I can't lose him. Not now. Not ever,"

Without saying a word Legolas reached over and took her hand in his,

"My father would send Tauriel away if he knew of our relationship. Although you may not think it I know how you are feeling Arianna," he paused, "If I were to lose her…I don't think I would be able to carry on,"

The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Arianna shakily got to her feet,

"For what it's worth Legolas…Tauriel seems like the sort of person who would never stop fighting to be with the one she loved. I don't think your father would ever be able to just force you two apart,"

Legolas nodded and Arianna moved away from him and lay back down next to Tauriel. The red headed elf forced her eyes opened and frowned at Arianna,

"Is it my turn on watch?"

Shaking her head Arianna watched as Tauriel fell into a peaceful slumber. Turning onto her back she gazed up at the night sky. She was so close to Kili and yet Arianna had never felt so helpless in her life.

_**Sorry for the delay in updating and I'm sorry it's short chapter than what I normally post. However I was really struggling with this chapter PLUS I've had my first week of university to deal with as well. However I still hope people liked it even though it was more of a touchy-feely filler chapter.**_

_**As always would love to hear reviews and I will try and update at least once a week. I've also started another Hobbit fanfic called 'Jinxed' which I might start posting alongside this one…obviously this will affect how quickly I update each one.**_


	34. Fading Hope

_**Almost 15,000 views! Big thanks to fanfic4eva for following my story.**_

_**Marina Oakenshield – Don't worry about being impatient…I can't bear them being apart any more than you can!**_

_**Bunny's daughter – Glad it was worth the wait and thanks for being patient.**_

_**Unicornsinpink300 – Happy to know yet another person loves my story.**_

_**Eruwaedhiel95 – I'm excited to know you want to read more and I hope my writing remains awesome.**_

Fading Hope

As soon as the sun had risen Arianna's eyes snapped open. Turning over she hissed as her wound burned with pain. Gritting her teeth she pushed herself to her feet and stretched her aching muscles. Wincing at the soreness in her back and legs she was surprised to see both Legolas and Tauriel standing by Jared's horse. To Arianna's annoyance both elves looked like they had been up for over an hour already. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she made her way towards them. Tauriel fixed her with her usual soft smile,

"Good morning Arianna,"

Arianna blinked in confusion, "Why didn't you wake me?"

"You looked exhausted," Legolas stated bluntly although Arianna could see the kindness in his eyes, "We thought it best if you had another hour of sleep,"

Running a hand through her hair Arianna watched as Tauriel finished saddling up Jared's horse.

"He can't carry all three of us," she whispered quietly. Legolas nodded,

"He won't be. We'll take turns in walking," swinging his bow onto his back he turned and gave Arianna a brief smile before holding out his hand,

"Do you need a boost?"

Arianna's brow narrowed in annoyance. It was bad enough that she was too small to ride the horse properly. The fact that Legolas _of all_ people had to help her get on the animal was even worse. Nodding slowly she said nothing as Legolas grabbed her by the waist and lifted her onto the animals back. As Tauriel swiftly jumped into the front of the saddle Arianna instinctively wrapped one arm around the elf's waist to help keep her grip. Legolas flashed both women a quick smile,

"Start riding," he said softly to Tauriel whose eyes widened by a fraction, "I'll wait here to make sure no one is following us"

Tauriel opened her mouth but Legolas reached up and placed a gentle kiss on her hand,

"I'll be right behind you my love," he whispered softly. Tauriel nodded before clicking her teeth and kicking the horse fiercely. As it spurted off Arianna's grip on Tauriels waist tightened. It wasn't the speed that frightened her; more the fact that she wasn't in control of the animal. She shook her head. If she had been riding with Kili or any of the company she wouldn't have had this problem. She would have felt safe if they had been with her.

"How did you kill him?"

Arianna stared at the back of Tauriels head. The elf didn't turn around and Arianna bit her lip. She inched her head round and saw the tall figure of Legolas jogging after them. The sight of the elf prince stopped the pounding in her heart by a small fraction. Pushing her hair away from her face Arianna took a deep breath,

"You saw what happened to him. You saw his body,"

"I did," Tauriel said in a matter of fact way, "And I know you couldn't do that with a sword or a knife. So what did you do?"

"I told you back in Mirkwood," Arianna gritted her teeth, "I don't need weapons to be able to kill someone,"

The two rode in a silence for a few seconds. Arianna could hear the breathing of Legolas close behind the horse. Tauriel head moved around only slightly, meaning Arianna only just caught a glimpse of her eye,

"You have magic?" Although Tauriel was asking her a question Arianna knew that the elf knew the answer. She nodded,

"It's hard to explain it," she admitted, "For years I've never used it. I was afraid of what it made me," Tauriels silence unnerved Arianna who gripped the elf's waist; "I'm not going to ask for forgiveness for killing him. I should have done it a long time ago,"

Tauriel gave the briefest of nods before looking down to see Legolas running beside them. His brief smile told Arianna that they weren't being followed and without saying anything Tauriel slowed the horse to a gentle trot.

"How long will it take us to reach Laketown?" Arianna looked down at Legolas, who shrugged,

"At this pace we should be there by nightfall," Legolas's face was aimed at Tauriel who smiled softly at him. Arianna looked down at her lap. A silent tear fell down her face as she thought about the company and what was happening to them. The elves were only assuming they were in Laketown. What if they arrived and they couldn't find the dwarves? What if Kili had already succumbed to his wound? Gripping Tauriel tightly Arianna threw her head back and swallowed her tears. The dwarves _would_ be there. Arianna was almost certain of it. They _had_ to be there.

* * *

Almost the whole of Laketown had arrived to see the company set off to Erebor. Dressed in their brand new finery the majority of the company were waving and smiling at the cheering crowd. Both Fili and Kili stayed at the back of the group and Fili eyed his younger brother carefully,

"Kili…"

"I'm fine," Kili gritted as another burst of pain shot through his leg. He'd been unable to hide the limping in the morning and he'd been aware of both Thorin and Fili watching him with worry. Fili placed a protective hand on Kili's shoulder,

"Kili for once in your life don't be stubborn," Fili hissed angrily, "What if your wound's become infected?"

Kili ignored his brother's questions as the company began to get onto the large boat that had been prepared for them. Thorin stood by the edge, helping the dwarves clamber onto the wobbly boat. Gloin uttered something under his breath about boats and Fili smirked to himself and Dwalin nodded in agreement. He looked over at his brother – expecting to see Kili's usual cheeky smile. Instead his brother's face had gone almost white and Fili could see beads of sweat on his forehead,

"Kili…maybe you…it might best if you were to…" Fili was shocked at the look of anger of his brother's face,

"I'm not going to be left behind," Kili snapped, "I have as much right as you and Thorin to be on this quest. I'm coming with you,"

Fili bit his lip as the pair made their way towards the boat. He nodded at his uncle before gingerly joining the other dwarves. Kili made to follow when Thorin held an arm out to stop him. Kili's face paled and his frowned at Thorin, who shook his head,

"Not you," he whispered. Kili swallowed nervously and was aware of the company watching him. He tried to smile,

"What are you talking about? I'm coming with you,"

"We must travel at speed, you will slow us down," Thorin said apologetically. Swallowing back his emotions Kili shook his head,

"I'm going to be there when that door is opened. When we look upon the halls of our fathers…Thorin…" he frowned at his uncle, who lowered his head,

"Kili…stay here. Rest. Join us when you've healed," Thorin drew his nephew close and embraced him.

"And when you've found Arianna," he whispered into Kili's ear. A single tear fell down Kili's face as his uncle got onto the boat with the company. Oin puffed his chest out,

"I'll stay with the lad. My place is with the wounded" he said; clapping Gloin on the shoulder before getting out of the boat to join Kili who had sat down. Fili watched his brother shake his head at Oin and he bit his lip before turning round on Thorin,

"Uncle, we grew up on tales of the mountain. Tales you told us!" he said, "You cannot take that away from him,"

"Fili…" Fili ignored the sorrow in his uncle's eyes. He shook his head,

"I will carry him if I must" he clenched his fists with determination but Thorin shook his head,

"One day you will be king and you will understand. I cannot risk this quest for the sake of one dwarf. Not even my own kin,"

Fili pursed his lips before nodding coldly at Thorin. The company watched as he pushed his way past them and made to climb out of the boat. Thorin grabbed his arm,

"Fili, don't be a fool. You belong with the company,"

Fili shook his arm out of his uncle grasp and climbed out the boat, "I belong with my brother,"

He turned his back on the company and pushed his way towards Kili and Oin. He shook his head. Thorin didn't understand. For Fili there was no choice. He either entered Erebor with Kili; or he didn't enter it at all. The three dwarves watched as the crowd began waving the company off. Fili allowed himself a small smile as he watched both Dori and Nori waving at several of the small children who clapped and cheered. Ignoring his friends Fili turned around to see the hatted figure of Bofur standing there,

"Did ye get left behind as well?" he asked with a slight smile on his face. Fili sighed before hearing a cry behind him,

"Kili!"

The three dwarves rushed to catch Kili who fell forward and slumped on the ground. His skin was almost white and he was covered in sweat. Fili grasped him by the shoulders and shook him,

"Kili! KILI!"

His brother shook his head weakly and his eyes flickered. Swallowing nervously Fili watched as Oin pulled away at the bandages on his leg and tears came into their eyes as they saw the hideous black wound on Kili's leg. Putting a hand to his mouth Bofur ran to help Fili get Kili to his feet,

"What do we do?" Bofur looked round as the crowd was beginning to disperse. None gave the four dwarves a second glance and Fili growled in anger. He was starting to really hate the people of Laketown. They had been perfectly willing to welcome the company when it suited them. Now that one of them needed help they didn't want to know. Both he and Oin dragged Kili through the crowd whilst Bofur tried to clear a path for them,

"Where do we go?" Oin looked over as Kili's head slumped against his chest. Fili shook his brother gently – trying to keep him awake – before turning back to Oin,

"There's only one place we can go," he said grimly. Oin nodded and called out to Bofur who nodded. As they turned a corner Fili sighed with worry. He knew Bard wouldn't want to help them. He would try and turn them away. But one look at Kili was all Fili needed to have. He knew that Bard was their only hope.

* * *

As they hammered on Bard's door Fili watched his brother worriedly. All his worst nightmares and fears were running round his head and he remembered his mother's tearful goodbye to Kili. She'd still been trying to convince him to stay with her. But Fili also remembered both him and Kili firmly promising their mother they wouldn't get themselves into any trouble. They'd watch out for each other and keep each other safe. A groan from Kili brought Fili from his trance and he tapped his brother's face. If Kili were to die… his mother would never forgive him for it. The door flew open and all of them stared at the range on Bard's face,

"No, I'm done with dwarves," he growled before going to slam the door in his face. With surprising speed Bofur grabbed the door and pulled it open,

"Please," he begged, "No one will help us. Kili's sick," he stepped back to reveal the other three. Bard's face fell at the sight of Kili and Bofur nodded,

"He's very sick,"

Bard sighed in frustration. Looking around him he mentally cursed himself before stepping back and allowing them in. As the door shut behind them Kili leant against Fili,

"Arianna…" Fili moved closer to try and hear what Kili was saying. Kili looked up at him; his eyes dull from the effects of his wound,

"Did she…did she get on the boat with the others?"

Fili's heart snapped. Kili's fever was making him delirious. He bit his lip and shook his head. Tears fell down his face as Kili looked around him,

"Where…where is...is she?" even with his fever, Fili could see the panic on his brothers face. He sighed. He couldn't lie to Kili, he'd never done it before and he wasn't going to do it now,

"She's not here Kee," he whispered softly as he helped Kili lie down on Bard's bed, "She never got to Laketown,"

Kili lie back on the bed and shut his eyes, "Please…Fili…please get her back,"

"We will Kili," Fili grabbed his brother's hand, "I promise,"

The two stared at each other as Oin came round the other side of the bed and placed a damp cloth on Kili's forehead. Fili never let go of his brother's hand and he could see the pain etched on Kili's face was steadily getting worse. Behind him Bard rooted through his cupboard; pulling out any herbs he could find.

"Have you got any alcohol?" Oin called. Bard passed him a small bottle and Oin poured some onto a cloth before pressing it onto Kili's wound. As his brother let out a pain racked scream Fili tried desperately to shush him. He stroked his hair and gripped his hand hard. As the evening wore on Oin tried herb after herb. He mixed them into powders and liquids and both Fili and Bofur watched on in horror as Kili's breathing became more ragged and his face paled. Dusk was starting to fall when Oin stood back and wiped his brow,

"Well?" Fili pushed forward and glared at Oin who shook his head,

"I can't work out what fever it is," he said dejectedly, "It's nothing I've seen before,"

Fili didn't know what to say. Bofur gently put and arm around his shoulders and Oin looked up at Bard, who was looking at the shivering form of Kili,

"How was he wounded?"

"An orc arrow," Fili said absentmindedly before his own face paled. The three dwarves looked at each other in horror and Oin ran to Bard,

"I need herbs…something to bring down his fever!"

Bard looked at the arrangement on the table,

"Nightshade, feverfew…"

Oin shook his head, "Do you have any kingsfoil,"

"Kingsfoil?" Bard looked at the healer in confusion, "Aye, it's a weed. We feed it to the pigs,"

Bofur's face lit up for the first time in hours, "Pigs? A weed?" he nodded with determination, "Right," he made to go when he turned back to Kili and pointed a finger at him,

"Don't move,"

Kili nodded weakly although Fili could see he was becoming more and more delirious. As Bofur ran from the house Fili looked at Oin who was staring at Kili in worry. Silence fell on the house and Fili gently let go of Kili's hand,

"Fili?" his brother's voice was faint. Inching forward Fili nodded,

"I'm here Kee,"

"Arianna," Kili licked his lips as his eyes flickered, "Please Fee…leave me and go and find her,"

Fili shook his head, "Shut up Kili. I'm going nowhere…we'll find Arianna together I swear,"

Kili shook his head weakly, "Fili…stop being so stubborn. It's a bad habit of yours,"

Fili couldn't help but smile at Kili's words. His brother's eyes flickered shut and Fili let go of his hand. Before anyone could say anything the silence was broken by a loud grumble. The house shook ever so slightly and everyone turned to each other in horror.

"Da?" Sigrid entered the room with Tilda behind her. Bard pulled her and her sister close whilst Bain just stood there,

"It's coming from the mountain," he said grimly – his eyes never leaving Fili, who sighed guiltily,

"You should leave us," he insisted, "Take your children and get out of here,"

"And go where?" Bard asked with sadness in his eyes, "There is nowhere to go,"

Tilda burrowed her head against his chest, "Are we going to die Da?" she asked quietly. Bard stroked her hair,

"No darling. No we won't," he said softly. Tilda shook her head,

"The dragon, it's going to kill us,"

Bard shook his head, "Not if I kill it first," he bent down and kissed Tilda on top of her head and kissed Sigrid's cheek before pushing them away. Everyone watched as he reached up and pulled something down from the beams on his celling. The dwarves fell silent as Bard held a large black arrow in his hand. He looked at Bain who nodded before hugging his two younger sisters. As he reached the door Bard looked at his two daughters,

"Stay here," he said sharply before turning to the dwarves. Fili nodded,

"We'll take care of them," he said solemnly. Bard nodded before both he and Bain ran from the house. As the door shut behind them Fili froze and Kili let out another pain racked cry. Running to his brother's bedside he placed a cool hand on his forehead,

"He's burning up," he said as tears fell down his face, "Oin do something!"

The healer shook his head, "I need the kingsfoil lad,"

Biting his lip Fili turned back to Kili. His brother's breathing was laboured and Fili could see him gasping for air. Running a hand through his hair Fili placed his brother's hand on his chest before getting to his feet and moving away. Tilda gave him a tearful smile and Fili frowned as he realised the door was open and Sigrid was nowhere to be seen. He bent down onto one knee and smiled at Tilda,

"Where's your sister?"

Tilda paused before a high pitched scream rang out from outside. Everyone looked on in horror as Sigrid ran into the house and slammed the door. She pressed her full body weight against it and stared at her sister in horror,

"Orcs!"

_**Getting close to the end of the second film now! (Although I will be adding some filler chapters on the end to lead tie up loose ends before the third film) Glad everyone still loves the story and big thanks for your patience.**_

_**Poor Fili…sorry for any feels that people are having and I'll admit I was crying when I wrote the stuff between him and Kili. Sorry for lack of Arianna action but no worries because they will be reunited VERY soon.**_

_**As always would love to hear your reviews!**_


	35. I Will Always Find You

_**Over 15,000 views! Big thanks to Raija22 for following the story. Once again thanks for being patient guys, really appreciate it.**_

_**Eruwaedhiel95 – The scenes between those two always have me in tears. With any luck the reunion will be everything you hoped for and even possibly more!**_

_**Bunny's daughter – Thanks for being patient. Am trying to update as fast as possible but I may have to ask for a bit more patience for a few more weeks I'm afraid.**_

_**Marina Oakenshield – Trying to update as fast as I can but I'm busy balancing uni work at the same time so please bear with me. Don't worry though…I hate leaving you guys on these cliff hangers as well!**_

I will always find you

Sigrid's words had only just left her lips before her hold on the door failed and she was flung aside as a huge orc burs into the house. Screaming with rage Sigrid grabbed a huge bowl and threw it at the orc. She backed away as the pottery smashed on its unmoving face. Fili grabbed a large poker from the fire and stood in front of Kili protectively. He risked a glance behind him and looked on in horror as he realised Kili was only just clinging on to consciousness. Another scream drew his attention away from his brother and he watched as Sigrid pulled Tilda under the table with her. More orcs were rushing into the house now. As the table covering the two girls was flung aside both Fili and Oin jumped in front of them – brandishing their makeshift weapons. Fili swallowed nervously as Oin grabbed a chair and smashed it into an orc face. The orc snarled and made to swipe at the healer when Fili's poker embedded itself in his side. Clutching the wound the orc gave a pain racked howl before staggering backwards out of the door. Fili said nothing as he heard the orcs body falling down the stairs. He could hear his younger brothers, agonising cries behind him and he gripped his poker fiercely; torn between protecting two defenceless girls and his dying brother.

"Stay with your brother lad," Oin yelled as he shifted his position so that he was shielding both Sigrid and Tilda. Nodding, Fili ducked an orcs swing and made his way towards his brother when his mouth dropped open in shock and disbelief. A large orc crashed through the ceiling and raised its sword at Fili when a small gasp came from its throat and it fell back. Fili gaped as Legolas dropped through the hole in the roof and landed in a crouch on the upturned table. Following the elf's' gaze Fili turned to see the tall form of Tauriel standing in the doorway – her arm out to her side as she removed her dagger from an orcs throat. But it wasn't the she elf that made Fili's mouth gape with disbelief,

"Arianna?"

* * *

Kili clutched at his injured leg and bit his lip in an effort to suppress the cry of pain that was running through his whole body. The world around him was becoming hazy and the edges of his vision were getting darker and darker. Another burning pain shot through his and he couldn't help but let out an almost inhuman cry of pain. Forcing himself onto his side he barely registered the orcs that were invading the house. He could hear their snarls and feral growls but his brain was refusing to fully register the noise. Instead it just washed over his head.

And that was when he saw her.

Kili watched as Tauriel burst through the open doorway; cutting down any orc in her path. Kili blinked his eyes as he saw yet another woman standing beside the elf. Her hair redder than the fire moon he'd once seen with Fili. A small wave of hope crashed into him before he weakly shook his head. It couldn't be her. His fever must be giving him hallucinations. As the two redheaded figures slowly drew closer and closer Kili forced himself up onto his elbows. Now that they stood side by side he noticed that one of the women was a great deal smaller than the first.

Also her ears were round and not pointed.

And her eyes weren't green…but blue!

"Arianna?" Kili's chest tightened as he choked out her name. Arianna cut through the bulk of a huge orc and as she faced him Kili clenched his fists as he saw the cuts and bruises on her face and the huge bloodstain on her shirt. Her eye widened for a slight second and Kili shook his head. It couldn't be her. How could she be here? The last time he had seen her she had been in the arms of a monster. Kili had been so certain she was lost to him.

Yet she was standing in front of him. He saw the familiar looking fire on her eyes and his hand reached up and grabbed her mother's necklace that he had worn round his neck ever since they had been separated. He could see her mouthing his name and without even thinking about it Kili pushed himself up on the bed,

"Arian…" his call to her was cut off with a soul wrenching cry of pain as something pulled at his injured leg. Turning round his eyes widened as he saw an orcs thick hand clamped round his ankle. Kili screamed as he was pulled from the bed and onto the hard wooden floor. His fingers scrabbled around desperately for a knife or even a stick. Anything to get the orc off him. Once again his vision blurred as he could feel the poison running through his body. Above him he heard yet another scream. Mouth opens in wonder he saw Arianna launch herself at the orc,

"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" her eyes blazed and despite his fever Kili could see the tears running down her face. Arianna plunged her blade into the orcs side and it threw its head back in pain. Dodging its blow she moved round and stuck another blade in its back, just as Kili grabbed a kitchen knife and embedded it into the orcs chest. Throwing Arianna aside the orc staggered backward, out of the open window. As its body fell into the river outside Kili let his head fall back as another rage of pain shot through him.

"KILI!"

Arianna collapsed by Kili's convulsing body. He gave a hoarse cry and pain and she grabbed his hand, holding it to her face. She stroked his hair with her other hand and his eyes slowly flickered open. Behind her Arianna could make out the sounds of the remaining orcs fleeing. Ignoring them she kept her gaze on Kili,

"Arianna?" he gasped. She nodded,

"I'm here. I'm here Kili," she whispered as tears fell down her face creating their own rivers as they dropped on Kili's body. He managed a weak smile and she pressed her knuckles to her lips,

"I said I would always find you," she whispered. Kili nodded before throwing his head back in pain. Within an instant Arianna felt Fili by her side. Although he was holding Kili his gaze was on her,

"You're alive?" he gaped at her. Through her tears Arianna managed a smile,

"You really should have some more faith in me." She looked round at the carnage left by the orcs. Two young girls were standing in a corner with Oin giving the youngest a comforting hug. As she failed to see any more dwarves Arianna frowned. Where were the others?

"They went to the mountain," Fili said softly. "Thorin told Kili to stay behind…I couldn't leave him here alone,"

"Neither could I," Arianna's voice cracked as Kili convulsed again. Within an instant Oin was kneeling beside the young dwarf and he placed a hand against Kili's neck,

"We're losing him!" he cried. Both Arianna and Fili let our hoarse cries and Fili shook his brother hard,

"Come on Kee! Fight it! For the love of Durin fight it!"

Arianna looked up to see both Legolas and Tauriel standing in the doorway. Legolas placed a hand on Tauriels shoulder,

"We can't let them escape," he said softly. Arianna's eyes hardened as the blonde elf ran from the house. Tauriel moved towards the door before she paused and faced the convulsing body of Kili with tears in her eyes. Dragging herself to her feet Arianna ran to the elf,

"I know you love Legolas," she said in a hoarse voice, "I know you want to follow him to the ends of the earth,"

Tauriel opened her mouth but Arianna held up a hand as she saw a familiar figure running up the steps. Bofur's face widened with shock and delight as he saw Arianna standing there,

"Lass! How did…"

Without saying anything Arianna grabbed the small plant that Bofur held in his hands and she stared at it in wonder,

"Atheleas!" more tears formed in her eyes as she held the plant close to her chest. Bofur raised an eyebrow,

"What are ye doing?"

"I'm going to save him," Arianna breathed out slowly. Her gaze flickered over Tauriel who was watching the form of Legolas running through the streets of Laketown. Gripping her blade the elf turned to Arianna,

"We'll be back before dawn," she promised. Arianna nodded silent thanks before racing in the house. She could feel everyone's eyes on her and she began crushing the plant in her hands,

"Get him on the table," she snapped. As Fili and Oin picked Kili up in their arms, his delirious cries snapped Arianna's heart piece by piece. She turned to one of the girls, who nodded,

"Sigrid,"

"Sigrid, run some boiling water,"

As Sigrid complied Arianna nodded with Fili who was biting his lip to avoid crying out. Pulling away Kili's bandages her heart stopped for an instant as she saw the black arrow wound on his leg. Rage coursed through her body as she remembered the smile on Jared's face as he had let the arrow loose into Kili's leg. As he gave another cry of pain Arianna looked over at Kili's face. Sweat covered his skin and she could see his chest was fighting to breathe properly. His eyes rolled as he convulsed again,

"Hold him down," she ordered. Both Fili and Oin each held onto Kili and Arianna watched as Sigrid handed her the water before pinning down one of the dwarf's arms,

"Tilda!" The little girl ran and copied her sister's actions. Mixing the plant in the water Arianna shut her eyes in the hope she remembered the chant. Whatever Thorin said about the elves, however much he hated them; Arianna had never been more thankful for elvish medicine. Taking a deep breath she turned to Fili,

"This will hurt him. A lot,"

He shook his head, "Just save him!"

Arianna ignored the anger in Fili's words. Taking a deep breath she pressed the Atheleas against Kili's wound. Kili screamed out in pain but Arianna shut her eyes as she began chanting. All of a sudden she was eternally grateful to Arwen for teaching her this and if she ever saw her friend again, Arianna would be forever in her debt. Rubbing the mixture into Kili's wound Arianna repeated her chant as Kili's screams slowly began to die down. When she was on the third repetition she risked opening her eyes and she saw Kili's eyes were locked onto hers. As his breathing became less laboured Arianna rubbed the last bit of Atheleas onto his leg before taking a step back as Kili laid his head back on a bag of walnuts. Wiping her hands on her trousers Arianna gave the others a shaky smile,

"Will he…" Fili swallowed nervously and she nodded,

"The plant will remove the poison. But his leg will still hurt for a while," she managed a grim smile, "he was hit by an arrow after all,"

Fili grinned at her. Allowing a sad smile Arianna watched as the others moved away – giving her and Kili some space. Grabbing a needle and thread Arianna gently stitched his wound up. Sweat covered Kili's brow only this time it was a sign that his fever was starting to break. Her hands shook all the time she was stitching the wound and it was only when she picked up a roll of bandage could she calm herself. Kili was safe. He was safe and alive. And Jared could never hurt any of them again.

"Arianna?"

Arianna finished tying a knot in Kili's bandage before looking down at him. His face was still pale but his eyes were open and he was staring at her,

"Lie still," she whispered. He shook his head. His eyes full of sadness,

"You cannot be her," he whispered, "She is far away. Far far away from me,"

Sorrow filled Arianna as Kili's fading fever was still clouding his mind. Kili sighed,

"She walks in starlight, in another world. It was just a dream," he turned once more to face her,

"Will I ever see her again? Or is she lost to me forever?"

Arianna intertwined her fingers in his and brought his hand up to her lips. Kili's eyes shut and she kissed his fingers,

"She is never lost to you,"

* * *

Arianna watched as Fili carried the sleeping form of Kili back over to the bed. Although his little brother was safe, Arianna could still see the worry in Fili's eyes. He stroked Kili's hair before moving towards her, his face once again became deadly serious,

"What happened? Where's Jared?"

Arianna shook her head weakly as she pressed a hand to her side. In all the fighting she hadn't realised her wound had opened up again. Oin followed her gaze and pulled her over to a chair,

"Don't even think about it," he said as she opened her mouth in protest. Rolling her eyes Arianna allowed Oin to push her shirt up and pull the bandages away. The wound wasn't deep or infected; but for some reason it wouldn't stop bleeding. Silence descended on the house as Oin stitched her wound before pulling her shirt down. As Bofur, Sigrid and Tilda joined them Arianna pulled her knees to her chest,

"What happened lass?" Bofur gave her an encouraging smile and Arianna shrugged,

"I killed him," she said quietly; aware that both Sigrid and Tilda were watching her closely. The three dwarves looked at each other before Fili grabbed her hand,

"Nice one!" he grinned. Bofur and Oin nodded but Arianna shook her head. Her actions had almost been too late. If Kili had died? If she hadn't gotten here in time?

"What is it lass?" Oin handed her a cloth as tears formed in her eyes. Arianna bowed her head; afraid that if she opened her mouths all the pain would erupt and bring the house crashing down around her,

"It's all my fault!" the sobs made her words hard to hear but the dwarves knew what she was saying,

"It's because of me that Kili was shot. I should have killed Jared long ago I could have done it long ago! But I was too scared, too frightened of what it would make me. And because of that – because of me! – Kili almost died. How can I claim to love him when…?"

"Hey, hey!" Bofur pulled Arianna out of her chair and as she knelt down next to him he enveloped her in a hug. Fili and Oin watched the sobbing form of Arianna in respective silence. Bofur gave her a warm smile before brushing her tears away,

"None of this is ye're fault lass. It was ye who saved the lads life! If ye hadn't been here…"

"But if I hadn't been such a coward…" Arianna began. Bofur frowned at her,

"Ye're no coward Arianna. Being scared of something doesn't make ye a coward. Think of everything ye've done for us on this quest. Ye've saved our lives more times than we care to remember,"

"He's right," Oin said as he placed a comforting hand on Arianna's shoulder,

"We're all in your debt lass,"

"No need to overdo the praise," Arianna smiled weakly and the three dwarves laughed before Bofur clapped his hands,

"Right then! Who's hungry?"

* * *

Arianna accepted the offered soup from Sigrid in silence. Her gaze had never left the sleeping form of Kili. She smiled to herself as she saw him tossing and turning – a sign that he was on the mend.

"Don't you like the soup?"

Arianna almost jumped at Sigrid's voice. The girl sat down beside her with a worried expression and Arianna shook her head,

"I don't really have any appetite,"

"You need to eat," Arianna smiled to herself at Sigrid's tone. The girl was so worried about a complete stranger. It almost brought another lump into Arianna's throat. She was aware of Sigrid following her gaze,

"He never stopped thinking about you," Sigrid said softly. Arianna tore herself away from Kili and faced the girl who nodded, a soft smile on her face,

"He told me all about you," she grinned cheekily, "He was so in love with you. The second he said your name his eyes lit up,"

Arianna blushed before staring at her soup absentmindedly. As the other dwarves joined her she watched Oin placed a hand on Kili's forehead before giving a satisfied nod,

"All he needs now is sleep and food," he said before fixing a smile at Arianna,

"I've heard wonders about elvish medicine," he said in an almost envious tone, "That was a sight to see,"

Arianna forced a smile on her face. She had to tell them about what Bolg had said to her. About how she was still being hunted. She opened her mouth but before she could say anything Fili cut her off,

"Why were you with those elves?" there was no hatred or disgust in Fili's voice although Arianna could tell he was still angry at Legolas for having captured them in Mirkwood. Swallowing a spoonful of soup Arianna sighed,

"They helped me. They helped rescue me and helped me get to Laketown,"

"But I thought you said you'd killed Jared?"

Arianna nodded at Fili's words, "I did. Only…" she looked down at her lap,

"I have to tell you something. Jared might not be hunting me…but the orcs are. They found me almost instantly after I'd killed Jared and said that their 'master' wanted me…alive,"

Arianna allowed her words to sink in. The dwarves looked at each other in horror and guilt filled Arianna as Sigrid pulled Tilda onto her lap. The little girl looked confused at her sister's actions but said nothing. Getting to her feet Arianna faced the remainder of the company,

"I'm sorry," she whispered. Fili frowned at her,

"What for?"

"For bringing all this trouble on you,"

Fili smirked, "Arianna…we joined a quest to slay a dragon. How could things ever be more dangerous than _that_?" he gave her a reassuring smile, "Besides…if you had never come then Kili might have never found his One,"

Arianna nodded, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks. A huge yawn escaped her and her legs trembled from exhaustion. Oin frowned,

"Are you alright Arianna?"

"Tired," Arianna blinked furiously to try and stop the wash of tiredness from taking hold. Oin gave an apologetic smile,

"We'll leave you be then lass. Come on lads…give her some space,"

As the dwarves left Arianna saw Sigrid smiling at her,

"You can have our bed if you want," the girl said shyly. Arianna looked past Sigrid at the sleeping form of Kili and a small smile crept onto her lips,

"No thanks you. I'll be alright,"

Sigrid pulled Tilda away as Arianna made her way towards Kili's sleeping form. One hand was outstretched and with a silent smile she pulled his rune stone from her pocket and placed it in his hand. Curling his fingers around it Arianna placed a gentle kiss on Kili's forehead before moving round and settling down on the bed beside him. Not wanting to wake him she curled into a small ball on the other side of the bed. More tears crawled down her face as she stared at her One. She still couldn't shake the guilt from her soul. She doubted she would ever be able to do that. Another wave of tiredness washed over her and Arianna was dimly aware of Bofur placing his furry hat on her head before she succumbed to sleep.

_**So then…their together again! Bit of a big chapter this one. Hope everyone enjoyed the mix of action scenes as well as the more romantic side of things. As always let me know what you think and for all Kili/Arianna lovers the next chapter is going to be just about them…hope you have your tissues ready!**_


	36. Bound By Love

_**Over 16,000 views! Nice to know people are still sticking with me despite the delays in updates. Big thanks to Fili'sGirl32, The Cajun Phoenix and blushingpixie for following the story.**_

_**Celebrisilweth – What can I say…I like the emotional chapters.**_

_**Eruwaedhiel95 – Thanks…it was really hard to write so I'm glad those many hours of rewrites have paid off.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – You might need a whole box for this one**_

Bound By Love

When Kili forced his eyes open his first thought was that the poison had finally claimed him. Everything around him blurred and melted into a single darkness. Swallowing the lump in his throat Kili blinked several times as his vision began to clear and he saw a blonde figure sitting close beside him. Light streamed in through the windows, causing Kili to shut his eyes again.

"Kili?" Fili's voice was soft and full of fear. Kili forced a smile as his brother grabbed his hand.

"Morning Fili," Kili's voice was croaky and hoarse, but Fili had never been so happy to hear it in his life.

"Oh Mahal!" Fili buried his face in his brother's shoulders and Kili was shocked at the tears that ran down Fili's face,

"Fee?"

"I thought I'd lost you!" Fili gasped. Kili snorted before pushing himself up on his elbows. A small stab of pain shot through his head at the sudden movement but, as his hand explored his leg; Kili was shocked at the lack of pain as he gently prodded the bandage that had been wrapped round his thigh. Looking past his brothers shoulder Kili saw the figures of Bofur and Oin. The two dwarves were talking with Sigrid and Tilda and it was this sight that made Kili's small smile vanish. Fili frowned,

"Kee…Kee what is it?"

Kili bowed his head, "Arianna," he mumbled. Fili opened his mouth but Kili shook his head,

"I saw her Fili. When the orcs came…I saw her. It was the most beautiful sight I've ever seen. She spoke to me. She held my hand,"

Fili nodded eagerly. Waiting for his little brother to figure it all out. However, to his dismay, Kili shook his head unhappily,

"But it wasn't real," he said sadly, "It was just a dream. The best dream I could have ever wished for. But still just a dream,"

Fili shook his head, "No Kili," he whispered, "It wasn't a dream,"

Kili stared at his brother before realising that he was clutching something in his palm. His breath stopped as he uncurled his fingers and saw his mother's rune stone lying in the flat of his hand. A single tear trickled down his face as he stared at the token,

"But… I gave this to…"

Fili grinned at his little brother. Kili watched his brothers gaze and turned around in the bed to see what Fili was staring at. Time seemed to stop as he gazed at the sleeping form of Arianna. Bofur's hat wobbled on her hair and Kili saw the streaks of tears on her cheeks. Up close he could see her face was covered in various cuts and bruises. However, it was the small bruises in the corners of her mouth and the rope burns around her wrists that fuelled the anger in Kili's system. Her shirt was still covered in blood and with a shaky hand Kili leaned over and pushed the fabric away to reveal an ugly looking scar on one side of her stomach. As Arianna fidgeted in her sleep he moved back; but not before tenderly stroking her cheek with his thumb. Kili raised an eye at the hat on her head and he could hear Fili behind him,

"We wanted her to stop crying Kili. Since you weren't really awake…"

Kili smirked at his brothers words. His eyes never left Arianna,

"Could we…have a moment please?"

Fili nodded and Kili heard him move away and head into another room with the others. Swallowing nervously he inched closer to Arianna and ran his fingers through her hair. She mumbled something in her sleep and Kili froze as her eyes flickered open and she stared up at him,

"Kili?" her voice cracked but Kili couldn't stop smiling. He nodded silently and gasped as Arianna shot up and threw her arms round her neck – burying her face in his chest. Bofur's hat fell to the floor as she broke into loud sobs.

"I thought I was too late," she sobbed, "I thought you were going to die. And it was all my fault. I thought I'd never get a chance to say…" she broke off and Kili cupped her face in his hands,

"Say what?" he winked at her and Arianna grinned,

"Say how much I love you. How much I've always loved you,"

As she broke off with a gulp Kili held her close against his body. His face brushed against her bright hair and he inhaled her scent deeply,

"I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, "When I saw you in Jared's arms like that…it was as though my world was at an end,"

He leant away from Arianna. Holding her face gently he frowned at the various wounds inflicted on her. Arianna said nothing as Kili gently kissed each mark on her face before staring at her with his big, brown eyes,

"What did he do to you?" he whispered to himself. Arianna managed a slight smile,

"It doesn't matter. _He_ doesn't matter anymore. He'll never be able to hurt me ever again,"

Kili frowned at the confidence in her voice. He opened his mouth when Arianna placed a finger against his lips,

"All that matters," she said thickly, "Is that we found each other again."

They didn't say anything as they pressed their mouths together. Kili's hand roamed through Arianna's hair whilst she clung onto his tunic as though she'd never let go. As tears fell down both of their faces, Kili's mouth moved briefly towards her neck before their lips met again. Neither realised they were both sitting up on the bed and as their tongue's brushed against each other, Arianna's fingers grasped at Kili's shirt whilst his hands travelled down her back,

"Kili…" Arianna gasped as she quickly broke away from him. However, Kili shook his head and pressed his lips against her neck,

"For the love of Durin," he muttered between kisses, "Just let me hold you. Let me touch you. Let me know this isn't a dream,"

Arianna nodded as Kili wrapped his arms round her waist and pulled her onto his lap. She gripped him with her knees as they tongues intertwined with each other. After a brief minute Kili's hand left her body and moved towards his tunic. Arianna said nothing as he pulled it over his head – revealing his bare chest. Kili may have been lean for a dwarf, but Arianna noted that there wasn't an ounce of fat on him at all. Her hands gently traced the thin line of dark chest hair that ran down his middle.

"You're beautiful," she whispered with a faint blush on her cheeks. Kili grinned at her before gently pushing her down onto the bed. His fingers ran over her shoulders and Arianna didn't even think about it. Kili paused for a second as she unlaced her tunic and threw it aside. Her stared at his One in shock. Her chest was covered by a leather corset but her stomach was still on show. Numerous scars lined her skin and as he gently ran a hand along each one he saw Arianna gazing up at him,

"I'm proud of every single one," she said. Kili flinched slightly at her tone. As if she expected him to be repulsed by the sight. He caressed her face,

"You should be," he muttered thickly. Arianna went to say something but broke off as Kili gently lay on top of her and began kissing her again. His hands found hers and when she was this close to his body she could hear his heart thudding against his chest. As Kili moved to her neck his grip on her hands tightened ever so slightly. It wasn't enough to hurt but Arianna gave a small gasp as her chest began to tighten. Kili's hand ran down her arms and he muttered something in her ear. But Arianna wasn't listening. It wasn't Kili who was kissing her. It wasn't Kili's gentle touch anymore. Instead it was Jared's hard grip on her body. His knees gripping her shaking form. Hot tears ran down Arianna's face,

"Stop it," she whispered in a shaky voice. The room seemed to morph from the simply house to a dark hall. All she could see was Jared standing over her naked body. A satisfied smile on his face as he moved away from her.

"You really are very good on your back Arianna," he crooned. A strangled sob escaped from her throat,

"Arianna?"

Arianna almost jumped out of her skin as the vision faded and everything came back into view. Kili was still lying on top of her; but instead of longing his face was filled with worry. Swallowing, Arianna tried to stop herself from shaking. Kili stroked her hair as more tears fell from her face. As he moved to lie beside her Arianna allowed him to pull her towards him. As he held her against his chest Arianna said nothing,

"What is it?" Kili murmured in her ear. She shook her head as she waiting for her breathing to become steady again. Kili said nothing as she shifted in his grip so that she was facing away from him.

"Why did you say "stop it"?" Kili's voice sounded like a wounded animal. Biting her lip Arianna shut her eyes. She expected tears to be falling down her face at this point. When her eyes remained dry she realised she must have used them all up earlier. Kili gently nudged her,

"If it was about…now…if you weren't ready…" he trailed off and Arianna couldn't help but bark out a laugh,

"It wasn't that," she whispered.

"Well what then?" Kili asked gently, When she didn't answer he placed a gentle kiss on her neck,

"You're shaking," he muttered, "Arianna please…talk to me. Tell me what's wrong,"

Arianna wanted to tell him. She couldn't keep it quiet else it would end up crushing her. But at the same time she couldn't let Kili know what had happened to her. She didn't want him to think of her in that way.

"I can't," she mumbled. Kili held her tightly,

"Whatever it is _miz sanazyung_, you can tell me. You can always tell me,"

Shutting her eyes Arianna took a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"Do you remember when you asked about how I got those scars on my arm?"

Kili nodded and his gaze automatically flew to the marred skin of her arm. Arianna's body shook again and he pulled her close,

"If you try to escape from the Kira Katil, then your life is forefeet," Arianna's voice was emotionless as she spoke, "I tried it once. Only I was caught. They should have killed me on sight. But Jared wanted to…talk to me first."

At the mention of Jared's name Kili growled and gripped his One hard. He had no idea where the bastard was but Kili swore he would never lay another finger on Arianna. He stayed silent as Arianna began talking again. Kili knew if he interrupted now then she might shut up whatever she was hiding forever,

"I don't know why I didn't die that night. But for a long time afterwards I'd wished I had died. Then I wouldn't have to remember what he'd done," Arianna took another deep breath,

"He stood by and watched whilst his two best men beat me black and blue. They only stopped when I was barely conscious. But it wasn't enough for him. He said he wanted to see me suffer. He wanted to hear me scream. I couldn't do anything to stop him,"

"Arianna…" Kili murmured worriedly, "If you want to stop talking…"

"He raped me Kili." Arianna said her voice emotionless. Kili's blood ran cold and he pulled Arianna against him as if he could protect her from the word. Bile rose in his throat and he could feel an inhuman rage coursing through him. His eyes instantly flew to the scars on her arm and he could see Arianna looking at them as well,

"That night…I just wanted to stop thinking about it. I thought that the physical pain would block out the memories. I don't even know how many times I cut myself. All I remember is that blood covering my arm and staining my clothes."

Kili licked his lips nervously as he took another look at the scars Arianna had given herself. Without saying a word he gently turned Arianna towards him and kissed her forehead. As she looked at his face Arianna wondered if she should have told Kili. She had never seen him look so threatening before. He stared at her, pure hatred in his eyes,

"I'm going to find him," he spat, "I'm going to hunt him down, find him and then tear him apart bit by bit,"

Arianna shook her head, There's no need," she said, "I've already beaten you to it,"

Kili stared at her and gently stroked her face, "But…how?"

Arianna raised her eyebrow and Kili remembered the state of the slave traders he and Fili had found. Allowing Arianna to rest against his chest he gently placed his chin on top of her head,

"That's my girl," he whispered. With a slow, hesitant nod, Arianna pulled away from him,

"I want to tell you something else as well," she mumbled. Kili pushed her hair away from her face,

"Not if it's going to upset you," he gave her a soft smile and Arianna shook her head,

"I don't want to keep any more secrets from you Kili." She paused, "I want you to know exactly who you've fallen in love with,"

Kili laughed and held her close, "I fell in love with _you_ Arianna. Nothing you say will ever change that,"

"Kili…you're a prince. How do I know that your people will be willing to accept a whore in their community?"

"Arianna don't…don't say that," Kili insisted. There was such fierceness in his eyes that Arianna bowed her head. Placing a hand under her chin Kili tilted her head up,

"What happened to you…it wasn't your fault,"

"I wasn't talking about that," she sniffed, "When I eventually left the Kira Katil I need to find work. I could hunt for food for a while but soon I began to starve. I found myself in a large town on the borders of Rohan and I spent the night sleeping by someone's door. I was almost dead from exhaustion when this woman found me. In short she offered me food and a roof over for my head. For a price. She wanted to me to sell my body to the men that came through her doors. I had no choice. Every night I spent on my back gave me food and money. All the blows I allowed to hit me; all the vile curses that shot my way. Everything,"

When she finished Arianna looked down at the bed. She didn't want to see the look of disgust on Kili's face as he realised that the woman he loved had worked on her back. As Kili pressed his mouth to hers in a searing kiss Arianna gasped in shock. Grasping her hands tightly Kili gazed longingly at her,

"I don't care about your past Arianna. I don't care if you've lain with one man or hundreds. I don't care how many people you've killed. I _love_ you. I want to spend every second of my life with you. I would tear down the misty mountains for you; I'd take a hundred Morgul arrows if it meant that none of them hit you. When I thought I'd lost you…I didn't think I could go on; because I'd rather die now beside you than live the rest of my life without you!"

As Kili finished his speech Arianna bit her lip. She opened her mouth but this time it was Kili's turn to place a finger against her lips,

"May I put a courting braid in your hair," he whispered. Arianna blushed before nodding. Kili's face lit up like a small child's and the pair both sat up on the bed. As Kili's fingers braided her hair Arianna noticed out of the corner of her eye that he was wearing her mother's necklace. She swallowed the lump in her throat and waited patiently for Kili to finish. As he slid a silver bead onto the end of the braid he leant back to admire his handiwork.

"I should have done it the moment I said I loved you," he confessed, "But we never seemed to have a quiet moment to ourselves," he broke off with a small laugh. As she fingered her new braid that rested at the side of her head Arianna knelt by Kili and began to do the same for him,

"So this braid means…what exactly?" she asked. Kili turned his head but she poked his shoulder,

"Sit still. This is harder than it looks,"

He chuckled, "It means that we belong to each other. You are mine, and I am yours. When we get married we'll have a matching one on the other side."

Arianna's hand trembled as Kili mentioned the word marriage. It was only a small tremble and she quickly shook her head. Sliding a bead into Kili's hair she sat back and gave him a smug smile,

"Not bad," she grinned and he kissed her cheek,

"It's beautiful,"

"How's your leg?" Arianna suddenly stared at the bandage in horror. She'd been so caught up in the moment that she'd forgotten Kili had been wounded. Kili shook his head,

"Pulls slightly a little bit. But otherwise…there's no pain at all,"

Arianna nodded slowly. Without warning Kili took her in his arms and pushed her back down onto the bed. He kissed her stomach and as he did so Arianna knew what she wanted to do. As her leather corset came away Kili gave her a small, wide eyed frown,

"Are you sure you want to…"

"I love you Kili," she said breathlessly, "I want to be _with_ you. I want to be with you for all eternity,"

As she saw the familiar blush on Kili's cheeks, Arianna suppressed her laughter. Instead she pulled Kili on top of her and kissed the corner of his mouth,

"Take me Kili," she whispered in his ear. He gave her a blushing smile as he began to undo his trousers.

Neither remembered the exact moment that it was skin and not clothes that they were touching. As they fully embraced each other; legs tangled and their bodies pressed against each other Arianna felt no fear. Kili's' touch was gentle, almost hesitant at first and she knew he didn't want to push her too far. Shaking her head she pressed her lips against his neck and as she moved down his body she could hear him gasping. As Kili gripped her with his knees she let out a small groan and his worried gaze flew to her face,

"Did I hurt...?"

She shook her head, "Stop talking," she gasped. Arianna shut her eyes as she opened herself up to Kili who entered her willingly. His hands ran up her legs and their fingers intertwined together. After a few seconds her hands gently pushed against his chest before Kili left her with a satisfied sigh. Arianna said nothing as Kili moved to lie beside her and pull the blanket over the pair of them. Wrapping his arm around her Kili pulled her against him – not willing to let go for a single moment,

"Are you alright?" he whispered as Arianna took deep pants to try and steady her breathing. With a sigh she snuggled up against him and rested her head on top of his chest. With his free hand Kili absentmindedly tangled his fingers in her hair and as they looked at each other they both saw the same thing in each other's eyes. They were bound together. They were complete.

They were one.

**Translations**

**Miz sanazyung – **Perfect love (Literal Translation)

_**Okay everyone…the emotional trauma has passed! Hope the last scene wasn't too graphical for anyone (first time writing a scene like that so hope it went okay). I plan to have a couple more chapters set in Laketown before we reach the end of 'The Desolation of Smaug' to give Kili and Arianna some much need and much deserved time together.**_

_**As always don't forget to tell me what you thought.**_


	37. Not Out of the Woods Yet

_**Getting closer to 17,000 views! Had a day off yesterday which is why I'm able to update a lot quicker than I have been doing recently. **_

_**Unicornsinpink300 – It felt a bit like that when I was writing it. I just felt that they deserved a whole chapter together after everything they've been through.**_

_**Raven – Always nice to have yet another lover of this story. Hope it never disappoints.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – If it's any consolation I was crying when I started writing it.**_

_**Marina Oakenshield – I've never done anything before and had it called perfect so BIG BIG thanks for that comment – means so much to me.**_

Not Out of the Woods Yet

As the sun set over Laketown, silence coursed through the main room of Bard's house. Kili had no idea where the bargeman and his son were but as he kept his gaze on Arianna he hoped the two men stayed away from the house for as long as possible. Arianna's fingers brushed against her new braid and Kili kissed her cheek lightly,

"What does, _miz sanazyung_ mean?" Arianna's tongue struggled to form the word and Kili grinned at her; a slight blush on his cheeks,

"Literally it means _perfect love_ he whispered. It's the most powerful name for the one you love," he gazed into Arianna's blue eyes as she smiled up at him,

"Who'd have thought dwarves could be so romantic," she winked at him and Kili gave her a playful frown,

"I'll have you know we're very romantic," he kissed her ear and as she rolled away from him a thought suddenly struck Kili. Bard may not be at home; but the remainder of the company were. Knowing his older brother, Kili knew Fili would be barging in any minute. Running a hand through his hair Kili forced himself to sit up. Arianna frowned at him but he gave a shrug,

"We'd better get dressed," he whispered, "We don't want to others barging in at the wrong moment do we?"

Arianna nodded and sat up with her back to Kili. As he looked at her scarred back Kili's breath caught in his throat. The blood and bruises may have gone but Arianna's skin was still covered in long, thin scars that were left over from the goblin's whip. Placing a gentle hand against her back he noted Arianna's body stiffen at his touch. Pulling her mother's necklace from his neck Kili kissed the back of her hair as he dropped it round her neck,

"We can never repay you for what you did in Goblin Town," he muttered into her ear. Arianna took his hand and gripped it tightly,

"You've already done more for me than you could ever know my love," she kissed his nose before turning back round and pulling her trousers and boots on. Kili watched her for a few minutes before his eyes widened at the sound of a door opening and Bofur's voice trailing through,

"Do ye think we could maybe make use of the kitchen…" he trailed off and both Kili and Arianna blushed deep red as they saw Bofur staring at them. The dwarf swallowed nervously before bending down to pick up his hat that had rolled towards the main living area. As the toymaker moved back towards the door Kili leaned forward,

"Bofur don't tell…" he sighed as the dwarf shut the door behind him, "the others," he ended. Arianna pulled her shirt over her head and frowned at him,

"What is it?"

Kili shook her head, "Fili's about to give the biggest telling off I think I'll ever get from him,"

"Why…?" Arianna trailed off and she looked down at the bed, "Is it about…are you not supposed to do it in your culture before marriage then?"

Running a hand through his hair Kili pulled on his own tunic and sighed. He placed a hand on Arianna's shoulder,

"Not exactly. It's not illegal to be intimate before marriage…but it is frowned upon a little bit. I personally don't think it makes much difference, but dwarves are very traditional at times,"

"You're telling me," Arianna muttered as she laced up her tunic. They both looked guiltily at each other as they heard Fili's voice,

"They were WHAT?"

Arianna and Kili looked at each other, "3, 2, 1," they mouthed before the door burst open and three dwarves and Bard's two daughters stormed in. Fili's face was like thunder and Arianna immediately felt guilty about what had happened last night. If she had known then she would never have pushed for her and Kili to lie together. Bofur and Oin took a step back whilst Fili stared at his brother and Arianna. The two moved away from the bed and whilst he was pleased to see his little brother was able to stand without so much as wincing; Fili couldn't help but noticed their flushed faces and guilty looks,

"So it's true then?" he glowered. Kili opened his mouth but Arianna got there first,

"Fili…I didn't know that it wasn't…proper for this to happen in your culture,"

For a few seconds all Fili did was look from guilty face to the other. As his face broke into a smile both Arianna and Kili's shoulders sagged with relief. Pulling his brother close Fili hugged Kili tightly,

"Congratulations are in order I suppose," he whispered. Kili sighed at his brothers words. True he and Arianna had practically got engaged through their actions; but Kili didn't want it to be like that. When the time came to ask her then he would do it properly. Stepping away from Kili, Fili eyed him carefully,

"Thorin will kill you when he finds out," he said; the laughter gone from his voice. Kili nodded his head from side to side,

"Maybe. On the other hand, how can he kill me if he doesn't actually know?"

"Kee," Fili rolled his eyes in annoyance but Bofur just pushed past him – a huge smile on his face,

"What does it matter?" he cried, "It couldn't have happened to two better people,"

Arianna laughed as the dwarf gave a playful bow before stepping back. Her eyes immediately spied the small figure of Tilda who was hiding behind her sisters skirts. Giving the child a warm smile Arianna watched as Tilda inched forward. Bending down to one knee Arianna allowed Tilda to come to her,

"You killed all those orcs?" the girl said; a huge look of awe on her face. Arianna nodded and Tilda gave her a shy smile before looking back up at Kili,

"Is that your husband?" she asked innocently. Arianna blushed although she bent her head to avoid laughing. She didn't dare look round at the others although she could imagine their faces. Kili would have gone bright red whilst the other three would have been trying not to laugh. Sigrid grabbed Tilda's shoulders,

"Tilda! Don't be so nosy," she scolded. Arianna shook her head,

"Don't worry about it," she said to Sigrid before giving Tilda another smile,

"He's not my husband," she leant closer to the little girl in a conspiratorial manner, "Or at least, not yet,"

She laughed at Tilda's wide eyed smile before getting to her feet and putting and arm around Kili's waist. As he pressed his mouth to hers Fili rolled his eyes,

"Not again!" he groaned, "Are you two going to be like this all the way to Erebor?"

Arianna shrugged and Fili shook his head,

"Well could you at least go into another room so we don't have to watch?"

Kili's eyes lit up and he took Arianna's hand, "Do we have time?" he winked at her but she pulled away from his grasp and sighed. They would have to be leaving for the mountain soon. Assuming Thorin and the others had killed the dragon.

"It's nice to see you looking healed master dwarf,"

Everyone spun round as Legolas and Tauriel stood in the doorway. Arianna sighed as the dwarves instantly tensed their muscles – waiting for a fight. However she pushed past them and stared at the severe looks on the elves faces,

"What is it? Are the orcs dead?"

Legolas sighed and ran a finger along his bowstring,

"Almost…we killed any that tried to escape from Laketown…however," he shuffled his feet and Arianna was surprised at how awkward Legolas looked. Tauriel placed a hand on his shoulder,

"However, one orc managed to escape Laketown…and we think another is hiding in the town somewhere,"

Kili's grip on Arianna tightened and she sighed. He gave her a strange look – a look that got even stranger as the saw the lack of surprise on the others faces,

"What is it?" he leant closer to Arianna, "What are you not telling me?"

She took a deep breath, "The orc that stayed here…I'd hazard a guess he's here for me,"

Kili nodded, remembering the words the huge orc had spoken when they were trying to escape the wood elves. As he looked at both Legolas and Tauriel he couldn't help but smile at the irony of the situation they were now in. He pressed his lips to Arianna's hand,

"So we start heading towards Erebor," he said; his voice filled with certainty, "If we can get to it before the orcs discover us then we'll be safe,"

Arianna shook her head, "What about Sigrid and Tilda?" she bent close to his ear to avoid the two girls hearing her words. Kili gave a guilty sigh and nodded.

"So what do we do?" Bofur asked the worry evident in his voice. Kili shook his head and pressed his forehead to Arianna's,

"Why is it we can never have a single day without something happening?" he mumbled crossly. Arianna snorted with laughter before turning to the others,

"How could you miss _one_ orc?" Oin asked Legolas, his forehead frowned in annoyance. Legolas stiffened at the dwarf's tone but Tauriel gave Oin a calm smile,

"There are many places to hide in this town master dwarf. We were a little busy trying to kill the ones that were attacking us to worry about anything else,"

Oin frowned as he tried to hear the elf's words through his battered ear trumpet. He gave a small nod and Arianna drew close to Tauriel. Looking up at the she elf she gave a grim smile,

"It's heading this way isn't it?" she sighed as Tauriel nodded. Sigrid pulled Tilda close to her and Fili gave the older girl a reassuring smile,

"Don't worry," he said, "We won't let anything happen to you,"

Sigrid nodded but Tilda gripped her sister's skirts tightly. The dwarves clustered by the two elves. Arianna noted how they were all still glowering at Legolas and she sighed – thanking Valar that Thorin wasn't here right now,

"We came here to warn you," Legolas's eyes flashed, "We lost his trail somewhere near this house. If he is after Arianna then this is where he'll come. He knows you travelled with us and it's possible he didn't see you leave the house with us,"

Nodding to herself Arianna looked down at herself. She still had her sword and two long knives. The dwarves had next to nothing,

"Sigrid," the girl jumped at the sound of her voice and Arianna gave her a winning smile,

"Are there any weapons in this house? Anything at all?"

"Just the ones the dwarves rejected earlier," Sigrid replied bluntly. Arianna gaped at the news. Turning to the four dwarves behind her she rolled her eyes,

"_You_ of all people refused weapons?"

"They weren't proper weapons," Oin protested. Arianna shook her head,

"Well right now there all we've got,"

* * *

As the dwarves picked up various objects from the previously rejected pile of weapons Bard had offered them earlier, Arianna saw Tauriel and Legolas standing in the doorway. She would have gone over to talk to them if their mouths hadn't been pressed together.

"What's the matter?"

Arianna looked up as both Kili and Fili sat on either side. She shook her head as Kili lant against her shoulder; he stared up at her with wide eyes and she laughed,

"Don't even try it. Puppy dog eyes have never worked on me,"

"If they work on Dwalin then they'll work on anyone," he replied with a cheeky grin. Arianna opened her mouth to ask what he meant but then decided against it,

"I just feel…responsible for all of this," she admitted. Fili gave her an understanding nod,

"I thought we'd been through this Arianna. None of this is your fault,"

She looked up at him with a grateful smile. Kili nudged her as Legolas came over. The blonde elf looked at Kili's hand that was linked with hers and gave Arianna a small smile before squatting down,

"What's the plan then?" his voice low. Arianna saw Tauriel standing in a corner talking to Oin and Bofur about something. Gripping Kili's hand she frowned at the elf,

"Shouldn't this be your area of expertise?"

He shrugged, "You were an assassin. I figured that you had a good head for strategy,"

"Right," Arianna swallowed nervously and Kili squeezed her hand encouragingly. The three of them got to their feet as Arianna racked her brains,

"We should wait for him to come. Sooner or later he'll find the house. Also, we need to make sure Sigrid and Tilda are safe,"

Kili looked past Arianna and saw Sigrid rooting around for something in a cupboard. Arianna followed his gaze before smiling at Legolas,

"With any luck the orc won't know that you've told us. He won't be expecting an attack,"

As Legolas gave a satisfied nod Arianna watched as Fili handed Kili his chain mail coat. As he slipped it on she gave him a soft smile before helping him to do up his belt,

"As nice as this is…I did love your leather one," she grinned at him and he smiled,

"Don't worry…I've got spares back home," he pulled her close and wrapped an arm around her,

"Don't so anything rash," he pleaded. Arianna raised an eyebrow,

"_You're_ telling me not to be rash?"

Kili kissed her hand, "Please. I don't want to have to go through the pain of losing you again," he sighed, "Just be careful,"

"Kili please," Arianna kissed his forehead, "I'm always careful,"

As she moved away towards Sigrid, Kili sighed,

"I know. That's what worries me,"

* * *

Arianna watched as Sigrid placed a long object rolled up in a blanket on the table. As the girl unwrapped it Arianna's eyes widened at the black bow that lay before her,

"This was my father's very first bow," the girl explained, "He kept it all these years…as a reminder that everything starts from somewhere. It's bit worn and there are only a few arrows but…it should do,"

Arianna shook her head as Sigrid pushed the bow in her direction,

"I can't take this,"

"Can you shoot?" the girl asked. Arianna nodded and Sigrid smiled, "Then you're taking it. No arguments,"

Arianna gently held the bow in her hands as she strapped the quiver to her back. The sound of a knife made her look up and she watched in interest as Sigrid pulled a wicked looking dagger from a sheath on her belt. Arianna frowned and Sigrid shrugged,

"My father gave me this two years ago. He taught me how to use it…should any one try and attack me." She grinned, "Although I don't think he ever imagined it would be used for this,"

"Where's your sister?" Arianna realised with a jolt that Tilda wasn't clinging onto her sister. Sigrid winked,

"I told her to go and hide. I said that it was a game and that no matter what happens she mustn't make any noise else she'll be found and she'll lose," the smile vanished from Sigrid face,

"It's my way of saying "stay safe else you'll get killed,""

Arianna placed a hand on the girls shoulder. She was full of admiration for Sigrid's actions. If more women were like her then maybe men would stop trying to take advantage of women. Sigrid gave Arianna a determine grin as Arianna slung the bow onto her back,

"I won't let the orc get you or your sister. I promise,"

Sigrid nodded gratefully as she and Arianna headed to where the others were waiting. Fili eyed the bow on her back and Arianna smiled,

"Just borrowing it,"

"Why do you get the bow?" Kili asked. Arianna snorted at his tone. He was like a little boy who wanted to join in the game his friends were playing. Meanwhile, the dwarves were staring at the knife in Sigrid's hand and Bofur shook his head,

"Remind me never to underestimate any lass I come across from now on," he chuckled and Sigrid gave a nervous smile. Sensing the girls fear Arianna nudged her,

"Stick with Bofur and Oin," she whispered, "They'll keep you safe," Sigrid nodded and as she moved towards the two dwarves Kili faced Legolas,

"So what happens now? We all wait here for the orc to appear?"

"Of course not," Tauriel interjected. "We hide. We wait for him to come before we pounce,"

Kili opened his mouth but his brother shook him,

"It's not the best plan," he admitted, "But we don't have much time,"

Tauriel nodded before pointing to Oin, Bofur and Sigrid,

"You two wait in that room over there, me and Legolas will…" she broke off as Arianna shook her head,

"What is it?" Kili inched closer and his heart sank as he saw the look in her eyes. It was the exact same look she'd had when the goblins had been threatening Ori. He gave a low growl,

"Arianna…"

She held up a hand to shut him up, "The orc's here for me. Let me draw him out. Let me deal with it,"

Fili shook his head, "No…it's too dangerous,"

"How is it? It's one orc against one assassin," Arianna sighed as the others began shaking their heads,

"Look," she said desperately, "I don't want to see any of you get hurt because of me. I won't go through that again," she stared hard at Kili, "Just…trust me on this. Please?"

Arianna watched as Tauriel muttered something to Legolas who nodded before giving Arianna smile,

"We'll guard the front entrance to the house,"

"You can't be serious?" Kili burst out. Legolas frowned but ignored the dwarf's anger. Fili pulled his brother back and Arianna stepped towards her One.

"Trust me Kili," she whispered. With a shaky nod Kili allowed his brother to pull him back. However, at the last moment he grabbed Arianna and pressed his mouth against hers,

"I love you," he said thickly, "For all eternity,"

"Very sweet brother," Fili sighed as they drew apart, "Now can we get on with it?"

Tauriel flashed Arianna a smile as both she and Legolas stepped outside and began heading down the stairs that led from the house. Oin and Bofur began leading Sigrid towards the room she shared with her sister whilst Arianna took a few deep breaths,

"What about you two?" she looked over at Fili and Kili. Both were holding pike hooks and Arianna sighed at the smile on Fili's face,

"I thought we agreed…" she began. Fili gave a shrug,

"Changed our minds," he grinned at her, "If you think we're letting you take this on by yourself then you don't know us at all,"

"Which would be awkward…considering you've been travelling with us for months," Kili chimed. As she looked at the two brothers Arianna felt touched by their loyalty. Placing a hand on each of their shoulders she winked at them,

"If either of you die…it's on your conscience," both brothers nodded

"Of course," Kili said with a smile plastered over his face. Arianna shook her head,

"I'm starting to think you're only staying for the fun of it," she muttered. Fili shook his head,

"You've fallen for a smart woman here brother," he grinned, "She's figured us out already,"

Arianna opened her mouth to say something when the three of them froze. No one said anything as the sound of heavy footsteps came from above them,

"He's on the roof," Kili whispered. Arianna nodded and began moving towards the bed. Fili frowned at her but she made frantic hand signals,

"_Take him by surprise_," she mouthed. He nodded and began pulling Kili in the other direction. Arianna crawled underneath the bed whilst the two brothers hid behind a small table in a corner of the room. As she tucked her feet under the bed Arianna's whole body tensed as the orc jumped through the hole in the roof. She gagged at the stench of blood and as she peeked out from her hiding place she watched as the figure of Fimble began moving round the house. The orc sniffed at something and Arianna shot back as he moved in her direction. From her vantage point she could see both Fili and Kili watching her,

"_Whatever happens_," she mouthed slowly in order for them to understand, "_Do nothing_."

Fili nodded and Arianna noticed he tightened his grip on Kili's arm. As the footsteps moved ever closer to the bed Arianna pulled one of her knives out silently and rolled onto her back. She began counting in her head as the orc moved closer and closer. As the footsteps stopped by the bed Arianna's heart slowed. Gripping the knife in her hand she took slow, shallow breaths. She could hear Fimble sniffing the air and only when utter silence feel did her blood freeze. Fimble grunted and moved sideways and that's when Arianna knew.

She knew she'd been found.

_**Quick apologies for the chapter title. It's not great but does sum up what happens so…**_

_**Another cliff-hanger! I'm sorry guys but you should know by now how much I love them! Lot going on in this chapter and hope no one minds Legolas and Tauriel getting in on the action once again. As always let me know what you think because (as I say way too much) your comments mean so much to me.**_


	38. I See Fire

_**Woohoo! Over 17,000 views. Yet another thanks for all the support I've received ever since I started way back in August.**_

_**Celebrisilweth – I'm sure she won't be able to resist them for long. Also, I felt that Sigrid had much more to offer and these extra chapters gave me the opportunity for that. Glad you like her development.**_

_**Eruwaedhiel95 – I've stopped apologising for the cliff-hangers because I like them so much!**_

_**Marina Oakenshield – As always I try and update quickly because I know what it's like to want the next chapter to come along.**_

_**Bunny's daughter – Glad you think it was amazing and fortunately I've had some spare time – hence the quicker updates.**_

I See Fire

Gripping the blades in her hands, Arianna's body tensed. She could see Fimble shuffling about by the bed and she knew it was only a matter of time. She turned her head in the direction of Kili and Fili. Both of their faces had gone white and she could see it was taking almost all of Fili's strength to keep his brother from launching at the orc. Turning her head away from the brothers Arianna kept her gaze on the orcs leather boots. It muttered something in black speech before more silence fell. Before she even had a chance to register any movement, Arianna gasped as a hand shot under the bed and grabbed her ankle. She didn't say a word as she was dragged from under the bed and instead stared up as Fimble bared his teeth – saliva dripping from his mouth. Sniffing in disgust at the smell Arianna kicked the orc in the face before slashing at his legs. Fimble screeched in pain and dropped her ankle. Arianna winced as she pushed herself to her feet and struck Fimble's arm with one of her blades. The orc roared and pulled away from her. Arianna stared as Fimble pulled her blade from his arm and let it drop to the floor. With a feral snarl he rushed at Arianna who dived left and – with a yell – kicked him in the direction of Fili and Kili. Fimble's mouth gaped as the two dwarves rushed from their hiding place, weapons in hand. With fierce battle cries both Fili and Kili threw all their strength into attacking the orc. Arianna watched Kili in awe. Although he was gritting his teeth every time he stepped on his leg his skill was almost equal to that of his brother's. Drawing an arrow, Arianna fitted it to her new bow and took aim at the figure of the orc. She should have had a clear shot. The orc was huge in comparison to the two dwarf princes. Yet every time she tried to shoot, one or both of the brothers would be in the way. Arianna rolled her eyes,

"KILI MOVE!"

Kili spun round in surprise. He saw the bow in her hand and dove to the floor to avoid another attack from the orc. As Arianna watched the arrow fly she gave a small, satisfied smile as the arrow embedded itself in Fimble's shoulder. The orc threw its head back and screeched in pain. Kili grinned at Arianna,

"You're stunning," he said breathlessly, "Mahal I love you!"

Arianna gave an immodest shrug before her eyes widened. Fimble yanked the arrow from his shoulder and grabbed a sharp looking knife. Arianna's heart stopped as the orc raised its arm; aiming for Kili's back. Without even blinking Arianna pushed Kili into his brother's arms and threw up an arm to block the attack. Up close she saw a thin scar running down the orcs face and it snapped its teeth at her,

"_Our master wants your power,"_ Fimble hissed. Arianna gritted her teeth as she tried to keep the orcs knife arm from coming down,

"Well he's just going to have to wait," she grunted. Fimble spat in her face before swiping at her. The force knocked Arianna back in a wall and she gasped in pain as she felt hot blood running down her neck. Pressing her hand to her throat her fingers ran along the three claws marks on her skin,

"Arianna!" Kili watched in horror as the blood poured from the wounds. Shaking her head Arianna forced herself to her feet as Fimble moved towards her, a sick smile plastered on his face. Arianna frowned before a burning pain shot through her neck and she shut her eyes in pain. She gritted her teeth; forcing her eyes open in time to see Fimble turn towards Fili and Kili who were standing side by side - anger etched onto their faces. As sweat ran down her face Arianna could feel the familiar sensation running through her body. Her fists clenched and unclenched as her power pushed inside her body; aching to be released. Fimble stood by the open doorway and as she saw the balcony Arianna took her chance. With an enraged yell she threw her hand out. A blast of white light shot from her palm and the figure of Fimble flew into the air and an out the doorway. As his body crashed into the balcony Arianna wasted no time in running to the door. She could hear Kili and Fili behind her but she didn't even give then a second thought. The cool night air stung her wounds and she rubbed her arms as her body shivered. Fili and Kili both peered over the edge of the wrecked balcony and as they stepped back Arianna saw the concern on their faces

"What is it?" her teeth chattered and she hugged herself. Fili bit his lip and opened his mouth when a shout came from below,

"Arianna?"

As Legolas's face came into view Arianna grinned at him. However, as she saw the elf's face her smile faded,

"We heard a crash. Where's the orc?"

"But..." Arianna broke off and held a hand to her forehead. Her skin was so hot. Almost like touching fire. As she shivered again she remembered the orcs' sick smile as he had looked at her wounds and her blood froze in realisation.

He'd dipped his claws in Morgul poison.

"Are you alright?"

Arianna looked across at Kili's worried face and she gave a short nod. He frowned as she shivered again but kept quiet. Pushing past Fili, Arianna looked down at the ground where she expected to see the mangled body of Fimble. As an empty space stared back up at her she gripped the balcony,

"Impossible," she breathed. Fili touched her shoulder in an effort to pull her away from the edge. His eyes flew to her blood covered neck and she pushed him away,

"It's nothing,"

"Arianna…" Kili began in a warning tone. A snarl came from above them and Arianna's head snapped up in time to see a bulky figure on the roof of the house, the full moon lighting up the orc for all to see.

"Bastard," she muttered before moving towards the house. A hand pulled on her arm and Arianna spun round – intending to shake them off – to see Kili staring at her with his pleading eyes,

"If you're thinking of going alone," he growled. She placed a hand against his cheek,

"Kili…you're wounded,"

"So are you," he spat. Arianna raised an eyebrow and his face softened,

"Arianna…for once in your life, let someone help you," as he looked at her with his puppy dog eyes Arianna shook her head with a slight smile on her face,

"Fine," giving him a quick kiss on his nose she shook her head at Kili's face as he nudged his brother,

"I knew they'd work on her one day," he grinned. Arianna ignored Fili's response as she jumped up and grabbed hold off the roof edge. Gritting her teeth she hauled herself up onto the roof and turned round in time to see Kili being given a boost by Fili. His fingers grasped the ledge and – bending down on one knee – Arianna held out a hand,

"Need a hand?" she said sweetly. Kili bit his lip,

"If anyone asks," he grunted as she pulled him up, "I did this with my eyes shut,"

Stifling a laugh at his male pride Arianna pushed her hair from her face and ignored the burning pain that was coursing through her body. She could hear Kili's nervous breathing behind her and she turned her head slightly to face him. His face was a lot paler than before and as he kept giving nervous glances down she smiled gently,

"Not a fan of heights?"

"Nonsense," his quick answer made Arianna giggle. Kili frowned and shuffled his feet.

"I could just think of better places to be than on a rooftop, at night, chasing an orc,"

Arianna strapped her bow to her back and winked at him, "I couldn't,"

Both she and Kili grinned at each other before Arianna turned round to try and spot the figure of Fimble. The moon was out in full tonight and there was nothing else on the rooftops of the houses that he could hide behind. Yet Arianna could see nothing. She inched forward, mindful to look down every so often to ensure she kept her footing.

"Where are you hiding," she muttered to herself. Kili said something but she wasn't paying attention. She could feel the pain in her head getting worse and for a split second her vision blurred. She had to kill Fimble before the poison became too much for her. Inching forward a few more steps, Arianna's ears pricked up as she heard a scrabbling sound coming from the side. The silent night was interrupted as – with a howl – the bulk of Fimble clambered up from the side of the roof and stood in front of the pair. Kili gripped his pike hook and snarled at the orc ho merely gave a grin as he advanced on the pair,

"_Azog wants the dwarf filth dead,"_ he snarled. Arianna gripped her remaining knife,

"Over my dead body," she ignored Kili's muttered curse at her words and Arianna made a mental note to remind him of what he had said when the orcs attacked the woodland elves. However, Fimble merely cocked his head to one side,

"_I wasn't talking to you,"_ he snarled. Arianna looked back at Kili who was giving Fimble a murderous glance. The orc gently tapped the point of a curved knife against his finger before shooting a glance at Kili. Before anyone had a chance to do anything Fimble's arm shot out and gently pressed the tip of the knife into Arianna's skin,

"No!" Kili instantly moved forward but as Fimble's knife broke Arianna's skin he stayed still. As he placed his pike hook by his feet, every single curse he could think of ran though his head as he watched Arianna balancing precariously on the roof. Kili risked a glance down and his stomach dropped as he saw the broken remains of Arianna crashing to the ground. Fimble's knife was still pressing into her neck and Kili was amazed at his self-restraint,

"_Azog was going to offer you a deal,"_ Fimble's voice rasped and Arianna was pleased the see blood dripping down his arm from the arrow wound in his shoulder,

"_Your whore in exchange for your uncle,"_

Kili glared at the orc, "You will not speak about her in that way,"

"_You care for her?"_ Fimble taunted. Kili muttered something under his breath as his brain tried to work out what best to do. He wouldn't watch Arianna die. Yet his uncle had already reached Erebor. Even if Thorin was here Kili knew he couldn't allow his uncle to give up his life for Arianna's. Kili sighed and took a deep breath,

"Let her go," his voice had never been darker. Fimble barked out something in black speech and Kili held up his hands,

"Let her go, and take me instead,"

"Kili!" Arianna shot him a dangerous glance but he stared straight past her. Fimble barked out a laugh,

"_You think you would be a better offer for Oakenshield?"_

Kili couldn't resist his smirk, "I know I would be. I'm his nephew. His only nephew," he hurriedly added. As Fimble's smile grew Arianna's glare increased and Kili knew if a knife wasn't being pressed against her throat she would have gone to him and slapped him,

"What do you think you're doing?" she spat at him. He raised an eyebrow as if to say _isn't it obvious?_ Arianna sighed. Kili wasn't saving her. The orc wouldn't let her go no matter who offered to take her place. His master still wanted her. Kili was putting himself in danger for nothing. As Fimble's knife left her throat Arianna took a shaky breath and stared at Kili. The cool breeze hit her body and she gave another shiver. Kili gave her a reassuring smile but she gave him a shake of the head,

"You…you bloody idiot," she muttered. Fimble sniffed at Kili and grinned,

"_Oakenshield's heir. You would be a better offering,"_ licking his lips Fimble advanced on Kili who held his ground. However, Arianna ignored the pounding in her head and threw herself at the orc who – with a single swipe – sent her body sprawling,

"Arianna!" Kili ran forward – his fear of heights forgotten – as he watched Arianna sliding down the roof. His heart stopped beating when, at the last second; she jammed her palms against the roof and clung onto the tiles. He watched as she pulled herself up and he reached out a hand when Fimble hauled him back, his knife hovering by Kili's face. Kili swallowed, fear creeping into his stomach as he took a good look at the orc. From her position on the roof Arianna saw Fimble grab a fistful of Kili's hair. Pushing herself back towards the roof top she threw out her hand – intending to blast the orc from the roof. She had a clear shot this time. There was no way she could miss. She was inches from the rooftop when – at the last second – her vision blurred. The shockwave brushed against Fimble's side and he stumbled forward. With a muttered curse Arianna fitted an arrow to her bow and jumped on the roof top, aiming it at the bulk of the orc.

"KILI!"

She kept her grip on the bow, but her blood ran cold in her body. Fimble gave her a wicked grin as his grip on Kili tightened. Arianna locked eyes with her One and watched as he struggled in the orcs' grip. But it was the knife that Arianna was focused on.

The knife that was being pressed into the side of Kili's throat.

"_Do it,"_ Fimble's goading voice hit her like an arrow and she pulled the bowstring back even further, _"Do it. Then watch as I open his throat in front of you."_

"You wouldn't," Arianna spat, "What else can you offer Thorin?"

"_There's always you,"_ Fimble hissed. Kili's struggling increased at the orcs words and Fimble pressed his knife deeper into Kili's neck. As blood trailed down his skin Kili gasped and Arianna's grip on her bow lessened ever so slightly. Kili gave a gasp of pain and her grip tightened as she aimed the bow at Fimble's head. The orc sniffed,

"_Shoot and the body of your dwarf lover will be at your feet before the arrow hits,"_

"Arianna," Kili grunted, "Just…just do it," he stared at her pleadingly, "Do. It."

Arianna froze. She had seen the look in Fimble's eyes. She knew if she fired then Kili would be dead. Ignoring Kili's frantic cries she lowered her bow and took a deep breath.

"Arianna!" Kili watched in horror as her legs shook. Something was wrong with her, ever since the orc's claws had cut her neck. The wounds were no longer bleeding as much but he could tell something else was causing the pale skin and the shivering. He ignored the knife that was being held to his neck and kept his gaze on Arianna's form. Fimble spat out something in black speech before letting out an agonising gasp. Kili stood still as the knife fell away from his neck. Only when he heard the sound of Fimble's body rolling down the roof did he dare turn around,

"What in Durin's name…?" He gaped at the figure of Fili. His brother held a blood stained knife in his hand and Kili saw the grim smile on Fili's face,

"No one," Fili growled, "No one, threatens my little brother,"

Kili clapped his brother on the shoulder before turning round to check on Arianna. She moved towards them and Kili noted how unsteady her legs were. He bit his lip as he looked at her blood-stained neck before taking her hand and pulling her towards him. She fixed him with a glare,

"Don't you _ever_ do anything like that again," she gave him a gentle push and his kissed her on the mouth.

"If it keeps you safe I'll do anything," he grinned at her as Fili rolled his eyes,

"Can you_ please_ just wait until we're off this bloody roof?"

* * *

The second they got inside the house the sudden warmth became too much for Arianna. Her legs shook and she would have fallen to the floor if Kili hadn't grabbed her waist. He tapped her face as he stared at the vagueness in her eyes,

"Arianna? Arianna can you hear me?"

She gave a nod before resting her head against him. Oin pushed her hair from her face before staring at her wounds. The orcs claws had scratched her neck and the top of her chest. He gave Kili an apologetic smile,

"I need to undo her shirt lad,"

Kili's arms tensed and he pulled Arianna close. As he did so her eyes flickered and she swallowed,

"Mor…morgul… poison," she rasped. Kili's blood froze and he took another look at her wounds. The skin around them was reddening and he could see signs of infection setting in. His head snapped up at the sound of footsteps and as he saw the two elves step through the door Kili could have shouted out with joy,

"Tauriel!"

The redheaded elf ran towards him as she heard the panic in his voice. As she bent over the semi – conscious figure of Arianna her eyes widened at her wounds,

"Morgul poison. How?" she stared at Kili who shook his head,

"The orc cut her…maybe his claws were dipped in the stuff. Hel her," he pleaded. Tauriel nodded before turning to Bofur who was standing by Sigrid and Tilda,

"Do we have any more Atheleas?"

He frowned before nodding, "Why? What's happened?"

Tauriel ignored the dwarf's questions as she got to her feet and began to mix the weed in a bowl of water. Legolas squatted down by Arianna and as he began to undo her shirt Kili snarled protectively. Legolas raised an eyebrow,

"We need to treat her wounds master dwarf,"

"In which case _I'll_ undo her shirt," Kili growled. Legolas took a step back as Kili pushed the fabric away to reveal the rest of the claw marks whilst keeping her breasts covered. He watched as Tauriel knelt down beside Arianna, who was starting to come round,

"Will she be alright?" Tilda inched forward and Tauriel nodded,

"If treated this early…then yes. We won't need as much Atheleas this time," she reached forward and pressed the mixture into the wounds. Arianna's body stiffened and Kili pressed a kiss on her forehead,

"Don't worry my love. It'll be over soon,"

Arianna gave a weak nod before crying out in pain as Tauriel rubbed the mixture into her wounds. Kili shut her eyes as Arianna gave another cry of pain and he swore to himself that no matter what it took; he would never have to listen to such cries ever again. After a few minutes Tauriel began wrapping a bandage around Arianna's chest and neck,

"If kept clean then she'll be fine," she turned to Kili, "It's unlikely they won't leave any scars," she said sadly. Kili shrugged,

"I don't care about that. As long as she's alive,"

As Tauriel finished tying the bandage Arianna's eyes opened and Kili helped her to sit up. She winced as a stab of pain rushed through her before allowing Kili to pull her close,

"You scared me for a second," he whispered in her ear. She blushed before giving him a rueful smile,

"It wasn't my intention to. I'm sorry," she kissed the tip of his nose. Fili gave his brother a wide grin as Kili helped Arianna to her feet.

"Is everyone alright?" Fili looked round at the wrecked house before giving Sigrid a shameful look,

"Sorry about the damage,"

Sigrid shook her head, "You saved our lives."

"Even so…we'll see you get sorted," Oin promised fiercely. Kili hugged Arianna close and she wrapped an arm round his waist.

"I love you," she whispered. Kili grinned,

"And I you,"

Everyone sat in silence for a few minutes before a deafening roar could be heard outside. Tilda gripped her sister's hand hard and both Tauriel and Legolas shared a worried look,

"What was that?" Bofur swallowed nervously as Oin held up his ear trumpet. Fili inched protectively towards Kili whose grip on Arianna tightened. The dragons roar came again and Arianna looked at Kili in horror,

"What have they done?"

_**So then…here we are. We've reached the end of 'The Desolation of Smaug'! Which also means that I'm afraid that's it for now until the spring of 2015 (I know! I'm as upset as you are!) Which is why I've left it where the film left off (pretty much) so the ending won't be too hard to bear. This is also why I chose the song "I See Fire" for my chapter title as it just seemed right somehow. I was thinking about trying to make it up but decided to wait until I've seen the film so I can get some inspiration.**_

_**A MASSIVE thanks to everyone who's viewed, followed, favourite and reviewed. I honestly couldn't have done it without you guys and thanks for taking Arianna into your hearts.**_

_**However, don't panic too much as this isn't the last from me. My next Hobbit fanfic – Jinxed – should hopefully be arriving to your computer/laptop/tablet/phone/kindle screens VERY soon. (Promise)**_

_**As always don't forget to review. So until next year…Namaarie (Farewell)**_


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